On stardate 43997, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation starship Enterprise was kidnapped by an invading force known as the Borg..Surgically altered, he was forced to lead an assault on Star_eet at Wolf 359.

As the show opens, the altered Jean-Luc Picard, now known as Locutus of Borg, appears on the main viewscreen of the starship USS Saratoga. Among the bridge crew of the Saratoga is the ships First Of_cer, Benjamin Sisko. The immense cube of the Borg ship is under attack by the starships of the Federation. Vessels sweep in from all directions, _ring on the Borg shipwhich is entirely unaffected by their attack. And with each return blast from the Borg cube, another Federation starship takes heavy damage.The Saratoga is hit hard, and her bridge crew goes _ying. Overloaded equipment panels explode, scattering sparks, and the bridge _lls with smoke. The computer announces that the warp core has been breached; _eld containment will fail in _ve minutes. Sisko moves through the chaos, giving evacuation orders. Catching a fainting crewmember, he urgently asks her, Have you seen Jennifer?! She shakes her head, and he moves on past her, deeper into the heart of the critically damaged ship.Sisko arrives at his own stateroomonly to _nd the interior a shambles. Outside, the battle rages. Sisko calls out for his family, searching through the debris, and locates his son, Jake, unconscious but alive. After pulling his son free of the wreckage, he continues his hunt, and _nds his wife buried even more deeply in the rubble. Unable to free her, he calls for help. A lieutenant hurries over, scans the body of Jennifer Sisko with a tricorder, and says quietly, Shes gone. Sisko doesnt move. The lieutenant hands Jake to another crewmember, and _nds he must forcibly drag a devastated Benjamin Sisko away from the remains of wife, into the escape pod. As the pod is launched from the side of the doomed Saratoga, Sisko looks back, just in time to see his ship explode into a ball of incandescent gas. The expression on his face is frozen and terrible.

STARDATE 46379.1: THREE YEARS LATER.

Jake Sisko is sitting on an old covered bridge, _shing, when his father comes in. Sisko tells Jake about their new post, a space station around the planet Bajor; Jake is anxious about what their new home will be like. Sisko tries to reassure his son, with minimal success. A call comes to Siskos comm badge, saying the ship will be arriving at Bajor in seven minutes, and Jake and Sisko leave the holodeck together. As they exit, they pass an observation window and get their _rst good look at the station known as Deep Space Nine. Sisko dictates his station log, describing how the Bajoran provisional government has invited the Federation in to assist the Bajorans in rebuilding their planet after the withdrawal of the Cardassian invasion force that had been occupying it for the past sixty years. The Enterprise is docked at the station, having arrived two days ago with some of the stations personnel, including the designated Chief of Operations, Miles OBrien. The interior of the station is a disaster area. The lights _icker constantly, and there is garbage and grime everywhere. Sisko, Jake and OBrien enter and look around in disbelief. As they walk around, OBrien recounts how the Cardassians trashed the station before leaving, and tells Sisko that most of the civilian support that had set up shop on the station was pulling out and going elsewhere instead of rebuilding. A mysterious Bajoran monk greets Sisko, and tells him The Prophets await you. Sisko is puzzled by this, but shrugs off the encounter. OBrien shows the Siskos to their quarters. Jake is dismayed by the condition of the rooms and the furnishings, and OBrien tries to alleviate the boys misgivings, but with little success. The Ops Chief informs his new commander that Picard would like to speak with him, and that the medical and science personnel for the station will be arriving the following day. He then shows Sisko to Ops, the nerve center of the station, complete with a second level of_ce for Siskos use, although it is currently being occupied by Major Kira, Siskos assigned Bajoran attache. Sisko enters the of_ce to _nd a Bajoran woman having a heated argument with a Bajoran man on the of_ces viewscreen. The woman, Major Kira, is less than pleased to see Sisko.Her reply to Siskos polite introduction of himself is a curt I suppose you want the of_ce. Sisko replies, I thought Id say Hello _rstand *then* take the of_ce. But we can do it in any order you like. Siskos initial conversation with his new First Of_cer does not go particularly well; Major Kira wastes no time informing the commander of her dislike of the Federation in general and of the Federations involvement in Bajors affairs in speci_c. And her opinion of the new provisional government of her own planet is no higher. She is not happy to have been sent to this Godforsaken place and is deeply offended that after the Bajorans _nally got rid of the Cardassian occupation, the _rst thing the new government did was to turn around and invite in the Federation to take their place. Sisko interjects that the Federation is only here to help, to which Kira replies, Thats what the Cardassians said, sixty years ago.Sisko continues to try to make a peaceable common ground with the hostile Bajoran Major, but their conversation is interrupted by an alert signal on Kiras board. Kira contacts the stations security chief, Constable Odo, about the problem, and heads off to rendezvous with him at the site of the trouble, telling Sisko he doesnt need to come along. He follows anyway.On the Promenade, a Ferengi boy, Nog, and a companion are looting a ruined shop. As they exit the shop with their booty, they _nd Odo waiting for them. They turn to _ee, only to discover that Kira and Sisko have cut off their escape from behind. Nogs companion draws a bolo-mace and hurls it at Odo; it strikes the Constable square in the faceand passes through the shapeshifters malleable form without harming him. Odo tackles the offender as he tries to _ee and slams him into a bulkhead. As they struggle, Sisko draws a phaser and _res a warning shot that brings the scuf_e to an abrupt halt.Thats enough, says the stations new commander, sternly; Odo turns and snarls, Who the hell are *you*?Kira introduces Sisko. As Odo, not in the least cowed, explains his policy of disallowing weapons on the Promenade, another Ferengi, this one an adult, appears on the scene. The new arrival, Quark, attempts to take charge of the Ferengi boy, assuring Sisko that he will be leaving the station the following day, but Sisko, unmoved, orders the boy taken to the brig. Kira opines that it was probably Quarks idea to send Nog out to steal in the _rst place, and Sisko tells her he has a plan to use this incident to bene_t the station.Before he can explain further, OBrien contacts him from Ops, saying that Captain Picard is still waiting to speak with Sisko. With a grim expression on his face, Sisko heads off to the meeting.On board the Enterprise, Sisko greets Picard with an unmistakably hostile, Its been a long time, Captain. Picard, uncertain, asks, Have we met before? Sisko replies, Yes, sir. We met in battle. I was on the Saratoga at Wolf Three_Five_Nine. Picard _inches, suddenly looking old. There is a long uncomfortable pause as Picard, in obvious pain, turns away from Sisko and seats himself at the table, struggling for composure.After that long moment, Picard begins an uncomfortable discussion with Sisko about Siskos new post. Picard explains that the Cardassian sack of Bajor was deliberate, intended to leave the Bajorans without a means to support themselves. Picard wants the Bajorans brought into the Federation, a goal that is being jeopardized by in_ghting among the various Bajoran groups which no longer have a common enemy to focus on and thus have turned on each other. Sisko says that it sounds to him like Bajor is not ready to be admitted to the Federation; Picard tells him that it will be his job to see that they get ready.Sisko makes it known that he objects to his new posting, and is in fact considering leaving Star_eet to take up a civilian job. He does not consider the station a good place to raise his son, especially alone. In the meantime, however, he will do the best job he can.Back on Deep Space Nine, in Odos security of_ce, Quark, Sisko and Odo are discussing the fate of Nog. Sisko tells Quark that he expects Quark to stay on the station, to Quarks puzzlement. Odo is also unclear on Siskos intentionsThe man is a gambler and a thief! Quark responds, Im not a thief! and Odo snaps back, *You* are a *thief*. Quarks returns, If I *am*, *you* havent been able to prove it! Sisko interrupts the bickering to explain to Quark that he intends for the Ferengi to be in the forefront of efforts to rebuild the stations civilian support base; Quark is to become a community leader, for the good of the station. Quark is dumbfounded. Commander, Ive made a career out of knowing when to leave, and this Bajoran provisional government is far too provisional for my tastes.When governments fall, people like me are lined up and shot. But Sisko, undeterred, makes it very clear that unless Quark agrees to the commanders plan, Nog will remain in jail. After Sisko departs, Odo comments to a nonplussed Quark, You know, at _rst I didnt think I was going to like him_Sisko arrives on the Promenade, and _nds Major Kira, in her shirtsleeves, throwing rubbish into a trash bin. She tells him that since everyone else is busy repairing the primary systems, she has been doing some of the messy work herself. But I suppose Star_eet of_cers arent used to getting their hands dirty. Without a word, Sisko picks up and disposes of a piece of wreckage, then shows Kira his grimy hands. Sisko asks Kira about the situation on Bajor; Kira is convinced that the provisional government is going to fall within a week, resulting in civil war. The only person who might be able to prevent this is Opaka, the Kai of Bajor, spiritual leader of the planet. If the Kai were to call for unity, the Bajorans would listen, but she lives in seclusion, seeing almost no one. Just then, the Bajoran monk who spoke to Sisko when he _rst entered the station appears, and says, Commander, it is time. Sisko pauses in confusion, then gets up and follows the monk. Kira watches this in astonishment. Down on Bajor, Sisko meets Kai Opaka, a plump older woman with a digni_ed manner who opens their conversation by apologizing for the conditions on Bajor. She then questions Sisko about the condition of his pagh or spiritual life-force, which is replenished by the Prophets, according to the Bajoran religion. She seizes the startled commanders ear in a _erce grip and orders him to breathe. After a moments hesitation, he complies, and the Kai says, How odd. One who does not wish to be among us is to be the Emissary. Opaka leads Sisko down into a hidden chamber below her audience room. The cavern is lit by dozens of candles. The Kai tells Sisko that although Bajor is in physical danger, her real concern is for Bajors spiritual life. Sisko protests that he is unable to do anything about that, and asks for her help, but she replies sternly, Commander, I cannot give you what you deny yourself. Look for solutions from within. Sisko does not know what to make of this.The Kai opens a small cabinet to reveal a shimmering hourglass-shaped object, which she identi_es as The Tear of the Prophet. As Sisko stares at it, he is drawn into a powerful and realistic vision, and _nds himself standing on a beach in his swim trunks. Sisko is disoriented and confused, until he stumbles across a young woman sunbathing, and _nds that it is his wife. It then becomes clear that he is reliving the time when he and Jennifer _rst met. As the phantom Jennifer agrees to her _rst date with Sisko, the mysterious object reappears, and although Sisko tries to prevent the image from fading, he _nds himself back in the cavern with the Kai. The Kai tells him that nine Orbs such as this one have appeared in the Bajoran skies in the past ten thousand years. The Cardassians have seized all but the one the Opaka has. She orders Sisko to _nd the Celestial Temple before the Cardassians do. The Orbs, she says, were sent by the Prophets to teach the Bajoran people, and the Cardassians will stop at nothing to unlock the secret of their powers. If they discover the Celestial Temple before Sisko does, they might destroy it. To aid Sisko in his search, the Kai entrusts him with the last Orb. Opaka states that she cannot unite her people, until she knows the Prophets have been warned. You *will* _nd the Temple. Not for Bajor, not for the Federation, but for your own *pagh*. It is, quite simply, Commander, the journey you have always been destined to take. Back on the station, a contemplative Sisko checks in on his sleeping son, brie_y waking the boy to tell him how much he looks like his mother. A call from Kira in Ops summons him to the Promenade. On the Promenade, Sisko discovers to his delight that Quarks has reopened, and the restaurant is the scene of more life and activity than the station has seen since the Cardassians left. Bajorans, Star_eet personnel, and a variety of other aliens mingle and amuse themselves. Sisko asks Quark for some Bajoran ale, but Quark is unimpressed with the quality of the drink: Never trust ale from a God-fearing peopleor a Star_eet Commander that has one of your relatives in jail.The next day, Sisko dictates his station log. The Enterprise is preparing to depart, after unloading three Runabout class vessels for the stations use, and the stations science and medical personnel are arriving. Sisko comments that he is looking forward to a reunion with a very old friend. Kira and Sisko go to meet the new arrivals: Lt. Jadzia Dax, the stations Science Of_cer, and Dr. Julian Bashir, Chief Medical Of_cer. Sisko tells Kira to give the doctor a tour of the station, while he himself takes Lt. Dax to her lab and puts her to work immediately. Before Sisko can depart with Dax, the young doctor nervously offers her a invitation to get together later, which she accepts. As Sisko and Dax head off, the amused commander questions Daxs involvement with Dr. Bashir: Hes a little young for you, isnt he? Dax replies, Hes twenty-seven. Im twenty-eight. Sisko, grinning, says Three *hundred* and twenty-eight, maybe. It becomes apparent that Dax is the old friend that Sisko was expecting, and it is further revealed that Dax is of the race known as the Trill, a symbiont species composed of a humanoid host and a sluglike symbiont; the symbiont part of the Trill survives the death of each host and is transferred to a new one, carrying with it all the experience and knowledge gained from its former lives. Sisko last knew this symbiont, Dax, when it was joined with an older male host, Curzon. This is the _rst time that Sisko has met with Dax since Curzon died and Jadzia succeeded him as Daxs host. Sisko _nds the change disconcerting, to say the least, but the Trill tries to put him at ease: Im still the same old Dax. Kira shows Dr. Bashir the in_rmary, which is as much of a wreck as the rest of the station. The major apologizes for the condition of the medical facilities, but the young doctor, far from being upset, appears delighted by them. He speaks with obvious enthusiasm of doing frontier medicine, and smugly tells an annoyed Kira that he could have had his pick of any post in the Fleet, but chose to come to Deep Space Nine because This is where *heroes* are made! Right here, in the wilderness. Kira is more than a little put out by Bashirs attitude. This *wilderness*is my *home*. The Cardassians left behind a lot of injured people, *Doctor*; you can make yourself useful by bringing your Federation medicine to the natives. Youve _nd them afriendly, simple folk. She stalks out of the in_rmary, leaving a dismayed Dr. Bashir behind.In the science lab, Sisko has given Dax the Orb to study, telling her that time is of the essence as the Cardassians have the other eight Orbs and a considerable head start on the problem. Dax expresses appreciation for Siskos presence on the station, a sentiment with Sisko returns. She then sets to work gathering information on the Orb. As she examines the object, she, like Sisko before her, is swept up into a vision of her past, and relives the time when Jadzia and Dax were _rst joined.On the Enterprise, Miles OBrien takes one last look around the bridge, and then heads to Transporter Room Three to transport to the station and his new post. As he steps to the transporter pad, Captain Picard comes in, and they exchange farewells. Picard transports OBrien to Deep Space Nine, and the Enterprise departs.Shortly thereafter, in Ops, a Cardassian ship is spotted approaching the station, under the command of one Gul Dukat, who used to be the Prefect of Bajor. Gul Dukat and Sisko have a tense and adversarial confrontation in Siskos of_ce, which used to be Gul Dukats of_ce. Dukat offers the assistance of the Cardassians, saying, Allow me to assure you that we only want to be helpful in this dif_cult transition. You are far from the Federations Fleet, alone, in this remote outpost, with_poor defense systems. Your Cardassian neighbors will be quick to respond to any_problems you may have. Sisko replies, Well try to keep the dog off your lawn. Gul Dukat goes on to ask Sisko what he thought of the Kai, and tells the commander that he knows the Kai gave him the last Orb. He offers to trade information about the Orbs, but Sisko denies knowledge of the items. Gul Dukat, clearly not convinced, requests that his men be allowed to use the Promenade, and Sisko reluctantly agrees. In the science lab, Dax has discovered a correlation between the appearance of the Orbs and a nearby space anomaly called the Denorios Belt, a charged plasma _eld with a history of unusual occurrences. Sisko decides they should take a closer look, but without alerting the Cardassians, if possible. Down in Quarks, the Cardassians have been doing quite well at the gambling tables. Kira and OBrien enter, saying, over Quarks objections, that Quarks is being closed down. Quark, grumbling, has an assistant fetch a duf_e bag, in which he puts the Cardassians winnings. On board the Cardassian warship, the gamblers place their duf_e bag full of money in a locker and depart. They fail to notice as the duf_e bag melts and _ows out through a grating in the locker door, forming a puddle in the hall which then organizes itself into the recognizable shape of Constable Odo. On Deep Space Nine, Sisko and Dax board the Runabout Rio Grande. In Ops, Kira and OBrien are monitoring the Cardassian ship. The warships computer system crashes, and its sensors go down; Kira says, Odos done it!, and clears the Rio Grande to leave. OBrien moves to transport Odo off the Cardassian ship, but experiences dif_culty with the alien equipment. Exasperated, he gives the console a swift kickand it hums to life as Odo materializes in Ops in a shower of transporter sparkles. Sisko and Dax _y the Runabout toward the Denorios Belt, picking up strange sensor readings as they approach. When they enter the Belt itself, the heavens swirl and a gaping aperture opens up, swallowing the Runabout whole in a split-second. In Ops, the watching crew realize that the Runabout has disappeared. On board the Rio Grande, Sisko and Dax are _ying through a glowing tunnel, surrounded by strange lightnings. As they _ght for control of the ship, another gateway opens and the Runabout emerges back into normal space. A quick coordinate check reveals that they have traveled seventy thousand light years from Bajor, and are in the Gamma Quadrant. Sisko deduces that they must have passed through a wormhole, and theorizes that this could explain how the Orbs got to the Bajor system. That, however, would require that the wormhole have been present for over ten thousand years, which would make it the _rst stable wormhole ever discovered to exist. They re-enter the wormhole to travel back to the station, but while en route, the Runabout inexplicably begins to lose power. Within a minute, the ship has come to a complete stop, landing on some undetected solid surface. Dax reports that there is atmosphere outside capable of supporting humanoid life, and the two of_cers exit the Runabout to see where they have been brought.As he steps out of the ship, Sisko _nds himself on a barren, rocky landscape, with jutting crags of rock reaching up to a storm-ravaged sky. Dax follows him out, but to her eyes, their surroundings appear as a lovely, sun-kissed garden, green and peaceful. After a moments confused conversation, they compare notes and discover the discrepancy in their perspectives. Suddenly, an Orb appears in midair. Dax scans it, and it returns the favor, scanning the two Star_eet of_cers. Sisko introduces himself, but the Orbs only reply is to lash out with energy beams that throw both Sisko and Dax to the ground. The scenery around Dax _ickers; she looks around in confusion as the Orb closes in on her, envelopes her, and vanishes, taking the Trill with it. Sisko _nds himself unable to get to his feet as the ground around him begins to shatter, dissolving into a blinding white void of light. In the Gamma Quadrant, the Orb exits the wormhole. On the station, in Ops, OBrien spots the object on his sensors and determines that there is something alive inside. On Kiras orders, the Ops Chief beams the object aboard, and the Orb dissolves into light, leaving Lt. Dax standing on the transporter pad. Sisko, suspended in white nothingness, begins to see images from his past _ashing before him. As the scenery around the commander continues to shift, he attempts to establish communication with the beings in the wormhole. It becomes clear that Sisko and the aliens lack a common frame of reference from which to understand each other.Back on Deep Space Nine, Kira dictates her station log, stating her intention to mount a rescue expedition to bring Sisko back from the wormhole. Dax tells the crew that she believes the wormhole to be a construct, and not a natural phenomenon at all, as OBrien reports that the Gul Dukats ship has started to move toward the Denorios Belt. Kira believes that the Bajorans must stake an immediate claim to the wormhole, which could affect the future of the entire Quadrant; she wants to move the station to that location, but OBrien says it will take two months for the station to travel that far. Kira wants it there by tomorrow, which OBrien _atly declares to be impossible. But Dax suggests using a _eld modulation to lower the inertial mass of the station and allow it to be moved more quickly; OBrien is doubtful, warning that such a maneuver could rip the station apart. The closest ship to the station is still the Enterprise, but it would require two days to get back to Deep Space Nine. Kira heads for a Runabout, taking Dax and Bashir with her. Odo, though not summoned, follows as well. When Kira tries to send him back, he argues for his inclusion, saying that since he was found in the Denorios belt, he has a right to go along. Kira gives in, allowing the Constable to join them aboard the Yangtze Kian.Inside the wormhole, Sisko continues trying to negotiate with the aliens, who suspect him of hostile intent. They admit to sending the Orbs out to make contact with other lifeforms, but do not consider corporeal beings like Sisko to count as such. During the disjointed conversation, he discovers a fundamental rift in understanding between himself and the aliens: the wormhole beings have no concept of linear time. On the station, OBrien _ghts with the Cardassian computer, trying to implement Daxs plan for moving the station. The situation becomes critical as the inertial _eld threatens to collapse and the computer refuses to follow OBriens orders, shutting down the system instead. The Ops Chief takes the boards to manual and completes the procedure, stabilizing the _eld just in time. Computer, says the disgusted OBrien, You and I need to have a little talk_ The Runabout carrying Kira, Dax, Bashir, and Odo closes in on Gul Dukats ship, which is headed straight for the wormhole. The crew attempt to dissuade the Cardassian from entering the rift, but Dukat believes that Sisko is currently inside the wormhole negotiating with the beings inside for access to the technology of the Orbs. Dukat insists upon investigating this for himself.Back in the middle of nothing, Sisko persists in trying to talk to the wormhole aliens; his job is made more dif_cult by the fact that one of the aliens has assumed the form of Jennifer, his dead wife, which Sisko _nds disconcerting. Sisko and the alien-Jennifer watch a re-enactment of his marriage proposal to the real Jennifer.As Sisko tries to explain the concept of happiness, he _nds himself walking in the wreckage of the dying Saratoga. This is your existence, says an alien. I dont want to be here, Sisko replies, as the alien-Jennifer emerges from the burning stateroom. Then why do you exist here?, she asks. Sisko doesnt understand. Their conversation is disrupted as Gul Dukats ship passes through the wormhole, emerging in the Gamma Quadrant. The Yangtze Kian is following close behind, and sees the wormhole openand then, without warning, it closes, vanishing completely in a _are of light. The crew stare at each other in mute consternation.Inside, Sisko asks what happened, and is told that another ship came through, an event which disrupts the existence of the aliens. Because of this, they have shut down the wormhole. Sisko perseveres in his attempts to establish communication with the angry aliens, using baseball as a metaphor for the way his kind perceive time. The Yangtze Kian and the station rendezvous at the former site of the wormhole, as three more Cardassian warships cross the border in search of their missing vessel. Kira orders the establishment of a high-density thoron _eld to shield the station from the Cardassian sensors. The Cardassians, under the command of one Gul Jasad, demand to know what happened to their missing warship.The station crew tries to explain about the wormhole, but Gul Jasad refuses to believe a word of it, as his sensors can _nd no trace of any such object. OBrien reports that the Cardassians have begun jamming the stations communications with Star_eet, and have powered up their weapons. Kira orders shields up, but OBrien says, *What* shields? The Cardassian commander hails the station again. He rejects the crews explanations, and demands the unconditional surrender of the space station within one hour, or the warships will open _re. OBrien works to establish partial shields for Deep Space Nine as Kira tells Odo to get the stations residents to safe locations. The Enterprise, the stations closest hope of help, is at least twenty hours away. Inside the wormhole, Sisko _nds himself once again standing in the rubble in his burning stateroom on the Saratoga. He asks why he keeps being brought back to this place, and is told that the opposite is happening: he is drawing the aliens to this place, because, as they tell him, You exist here. Then give me the power to lead you someplace else. Anyplace else!, Sisko shouts. We cannot give you what you deny yourself, they say, and Sisko sees Kai Opaka saying, Look for solutions from within, Commander. Sisko watches his phantom self being dragged from the burning stateroom. I never left this ship, he says.You exist here, the alien Jennifer repeats.I exist here, Sisko says, helplessly, and moves to the side of his dead wife. In agony, he recounts how his life ended at this moment, and how he relives it every time he closes his eyes.This is not linear, says the alien. Sisko is in tears. Its not linear, he agrees.Back on the embattled station, the Cardassians are hailing again. OBrien states that the Cardassians will be surprised when they penetrate the thoron _eld, and Kira orders him to _re six photon torpedoes across Gul Jasads bow. OBrien protests, We only *have* six photons, Major. She replies, Were not going to win this battle with torpedoes, Chief.The photon torpedoes streak by Gul Jasads ship, and the angered Cardassian hails the station again. Kira attempts to bluff: You dont think Star_eet took command of this space station without the ability to defend it, do you? Jasad is incredulous, and Kira admits that if she were Star_eet she would probably surrenderbut she is Bajoran, and quite used to hopeless causes. If you want a war, Ill give you one.Aboard the warship, a Cardassian of_cer tells Gul Jasad that their scanners have penetrated the thoron _eld around the station and learned that the station has approximately _ve thousand photon torpedoes and integrated phaser banks on all levels. Gul Jasad is dumbfounded, unable to comprehend how the weaponry could have been brought in and installed without the knowledge of the Cardassians. He concludes that it must be a deception, a massive illusion of duranium shadows. In Ops, the crew notices that the Cardassians have called for reinforcements. It seems as if the bluff has workeduntil the warships assume an attack formation around the station. As Kira orders Battlestations!, the Cardassians open _re. Phaser bolts strike the docking ring; inside, Odo tries to shepherd the station residents to safety as the station shakes with the impact. OBrien manages to power up the stations phasers for one blast, and _res, striking a Cardassian ship, but without obvious effect. The warships _re again in return, rocking the station; the stations shields begin to fail.Another barrage from the attackers strikes, penetrating the weakened shields. On the Promenade, there is a large explosion, and people run in panic as debris starts to fall around and upon them. The staff in Ops _ght to control the damage, as Odo calls up for medical assistance. Dr. Bashir moves to respond, meeting up with the Constable on the Promenade. Bashir commands Odos assistance with an injured woman; the unsettled shapeshifter tries to demur, but Bashir _ercely orders him to stay put, and Odo, startled, complies. Back in Ops, the stations defenses are nearly gone. OBrien offers one more phaser blast to Kira, but the major, defeat showing in her face, tells him No. After a long pause, she starts to hail the Cardassian ship in order to offer the stations surrenderbut is interrupted by Daxs shout that she is picking up a huge neutrino disturbance. The wormhole has returned.Kira hails the Cardassian ship. What did I tell you, Jasadtheres your wormhole! Gul Jasad gapes in astonishment as the Rio Grande appears in the mouth of the wormhole, towing Gul Dukats warship behind it with a tractor beam. Sisko calls the station from the Runabout, apologizing for the delay caused by his stopping to give the Cardassian warship a hand on the other side of the wormhole. Gul Dukat has agreed to signal his ships to stand down. The Runabout is cleared for docking, to the profound relief of everyone on the station. Sisko enters the Promenade and surveys the damage. He checks in with Bashir and _nds out that there have been no fatalities from the attack. Jake Sisko emerges from the crowd, and Sisko, seeing him, calls his sons name and moves to take him in a _erce embrace. Station Log: Commander Benjamin Sisko, stardate 46393.1. The lifeforms who created the wormhole have agreed to allow safe passage for all ships traveling to the Gamma Quadrant. With the arrival of the Enterprise, the Cardassians have left the area.In Siskos of_ce, the commander has another meeting with Captain Picard. The atmosphere is noticeably less hostile this time. Picard comments that the sight of the Federation Runabout towing a Cardassian warship has discouraged the Cardassians, but Sisko is convinced that, given the strategic importance of the wormhole, the Cardassians will be back. Picard states that the discovery of the wormhole has vastly increased the importance of the planet Bajor, and of the Federation post here as well. Picard questions whether or not Sisko should continue at this assignment, given his stated misgivings, but Sisko has become determined to stay. The two of them shake hands. Picard wishes Sisko good luck, and departs, as life on Deep Space Nine begins to settle into its new order.

tc "Past Prologue"Past Prologue Episode Number: 404Air Date: 1/09/93

As the show opens, Dr. Bashir is sitting alone in the dining area, enjoying a drink, when he is approached by a Cardassian with an obsequious manner. The Cardassian, who introduces himself as Garak, a clothier, engages the young doctor in conversation, which Bashir _nds disquieting. As they talk, Bashir nervously makes inquiries about Garaks purpose on the station, implying that he acts as an informant for his race; Garak reacts to this fanciful notion with comical surprise. After making overtures of friendship to Bashir, Garak excuses himself, patting the uneasy doctor on the shoulders on his way out, to Bashirs consternation. Bashir charges into Ops, very excited that the Cardassian spy has made contact with him. He wants to help catch Garak; the rest of the Ops crew are underwhelmed with Bashirs wild ideas. The doctors ramblings are interrupted when Kira spots a couple of ships entering Bajoran space; it turns out to be a Cardassian warship in pursuit of a damaged Bajoran scout. Sisko tries to warn off the Cardassian ship, but it does not stop; the Bajoran ship contacts the station with audio, and the pilots voice requests asylum. Sisko questions the pilot, but before the Bajoran can answer, his vessel begins to come apart at the seams. OBrien transports the pilot into Ops just as the scoutship explodes. Kira and Bashir rush to the aid of the injured pilot. The man gasps out another request for asylum, then looks up and sees Kira. Recognition is mutual. As the wounded man is taken down to the in_rmary, Kira tells Sisko that his name is Tahna Los, and that the two of them fought together in the Bajoran underground. The Cardassian ship hails the station, and the captain demands that the Bajoran man be turned over to them immediately. Sisko says the man has asked for asylum, and that his request is being considered. The Cardassian tells Sisko that the pilot is Khon Ma, a terrorist, and should not be granted asylum by anyone; Sisko promises to investigate the matter before making his decision, and invites the Cardassian commander aboard the station to explain his actions. When the connection is closed, Sisko tells OBrien that Lt. Dax should keep the Cardassian ship busy with docking protocols until he has a chance to talk with Tahna Los. On the way to the in_rmary, Sisko questions Kira about her involvement with the terrorists. She denies being a part of the Khon Ma, but under pressure admits that Tahna *is*. Sisko points out that the Khon Ma have continued to murder Cardassians and even some Bajorans after the Cardassians left Bajor, and forcefully tells Kira that he wont have his station being used as a shelter for terrorist activities. Kira, furious, yells back that Bajor will need men like Tahna to help rebuild, and says that splinter groups like the Khon Ma will have to be repatriated sooner or later. This is an opportunity that Kira doesnt want to be missed. In the in_rmary, Dr. Bashir is tending to an unconscious Tahna when Kira and Sisko enter. Tahnas injuries are not serious, although he bears signs of having been tortured by the Cardassians more than once in the past. As they are talking, Tahna awakens, and reacts with surprise to Kiras new rank of major. Kira tells him that she is still _ghting for Bajor in her own way, and Sisko sends her and Bashir away so he can talk with Tahna in private. Sisko asks Tahna why the Cardassian ship was pursuing him; Tahna sidesteps the question. He admits to having committed acts of terrorism against the Cardassians since they left Bajor, but tells Sisko that he is tired of the violence and ready for it to end.Elsewhere on the station, Kira has contacted a Star_eet admiral in order to complain about Siskos handling of matters with Tahna; the admiral thanks her for her concern and assures Kira that she will stay in contact with the situation. In Ops, OBrien tells Sisko that Dax is continuing to stall the Cardassians, and then says that he hopes Sisko isnt planning to turn Tahna over to the Cardassians, as thats not something OBrien would want to see happen to any man. A subspace transmission from a Star_eet admiral arrives for Sisko; he takes it in his of_ce. Its the Admiral with whom Kira was speaking earlier. She informs him that he has a problem with one of his subordinates. Sisko agrees.Kira goes to visit Tahna in the in_rmary. They discuss old times brie_y, and Kira assures Tahna that she wont let Sisko give him to the Cardassians. Sisko conducts an interview with Gul Dunar, the Cardassian commander who was chasing Tahna. Dunar is irritated over the long delay in docking, and threatens Sisko with a diplomatic incident if Tahna is given asylum. Sisko tells Dunar that Tahna has renounced the Khon Ma and wishes to help rebuild Bajor, and that therefore, regardless of the Cardassians wishes, Sisko has decided to grant Tahnas request. If the Cardassian wishes, he is free to pursue the matter once Tahna is repatriated to Bajor. Kira shows Tahna to his guest quarters, and they discuss the matter of the Federations involvement with Bajor and Kiras involvement with the Federation. Tahna is even more vehement than Kira that the Federations involvement with Bajor should never have been allowed to happen. Kira urges him toward moderation, saying Bajor needs Star_eet to keep the Cardassians away from the wormhole, which is required for Bajor to become a power in the Quadrant. Tahna doesnt care about Bajors power; he wants Bajor for the Bajorans, free of outside interference. This speech wakens doubts in Kira about Tahnas motivations, but he insists that he truly is no longer with the Khon Ma. Kira tells him she is working on obtaining an offer of amnesty for Tahna, and any other Khon Ma who wants to follow him, and Tahna seems inclined to accept it.On the Promenade, Odo arrives at the scene of an altercation. A pair of Klingon females, Lursa and Betor of House Duras, have arrived on the station, and refused to give up their weapons, resulting in a standoff with Odos security people. Odo asserts his authority and the pair reluctantly surrender their guns. Odo reports this event to Sisko, who _lls him in on the history of the Duras sisters. Neither Sisko nor Odo is happy about their presence on the station, but when Odo suggests locking up the pair and calling the Klingons to come and get them, Sisko points out that they havent done anything wrong on the station, and therefore cant be detained. Odo complains, Cardassian rule may have been oppressive, but at least it was_*simple*. Sisko orders him to keep an eye on their new guests.In Quarks, the sisters are sitting and waiting on the second level, while Garak the Cardassian watches them from his seat on the _rst level. Dr. Bashir walks in and sits down with Garak, making conversation, and Garak directs his attention to the Klingon sisters, and a moment later, to the just-arriving Tahna Los. They watch as the Klingons get up and head off with Tahna. The sisters and Tahna meet in a remote part of the station, where water drips and a rat scurries across the _oor. Tahna owes the Klingons money for something unspeci_ed; the sisters threaten his life if he does not pay up. Tahna says the money will be arriving on the following day. The three depart, and the scurrying rat reappears, then morphs and becomes a thoughtful Odo.In Ops, a gleeful Kira informs Sisko that she has secured amnesty for Tahna, and that two more Khon Ma will come over as well if their safety is guaranteed. Sisko gives his guarantee, and Kira thanks him and praises his decision, which prompts Sisko to suggest that she might tell the Admiral that the next time they speak. He ends with, Go over *my* head againand Ill have *yours* on a platter. In Siskos of_ce, Odo reports to Sisko that Tahna has a business arrangement with the Klingons, and that the payment is on its way. Sisko tells Odo about Kiras other two Khon Ma who are soon to arrive, probably with the money, and further tells the Constable that Kira should not be informed of these developments, for the moment. Lursa and Betor pay a visit to the shop of Garak, the Cardassian clothier. They wish to make a deal with Garak, as a representative of the Cardassians, for the delivery of Tahna Los. Garak at _rst demurs, but then admits that he might be in a position to bargain for that. They begin to haggle over the price.Kira visits with Tahna again to tell him that she has succeeded in obtaining amnesty for him and anyone who follows him. Tahna complements her on her spirit, but it becomes obvious from his words and manner that he had some de_nite purpose in coming to the station. Kira realizes that Tahna has been lying to her, and that his arrival on DS9 was no accident, but a deliberate attempt to contact Kira herself. Tahna identi_es himself as Khon Ma once again, and he and Kira have a heated argument about what action is required to secure Bajors freedom. Tahna reveals that the Khon Ma plan to drive the Federation off of Bajor, but promises that there will be no violence involved. To complete this plan, the Khon Ma require a small ship with warp capability, and Tahna wants Kira to get it for them.He says, In one move, and non-violently, we accomplish everything both of us have ever wanted for Bajor. Kira presses him for details, but he refuses to divulge the plan. She comments to Tahna that she could just go and tell Sisko about this conversation, and Tahna replies, Well, if you do, then well both know where your loyalties, are, wont we?Dr. Bashir is sitting in the dining area again when Garak walks up. Bashir begins to banter with the Cardassian, but Garak is unusually grave. He tells the puzzled doctor that its time to start being seriously concerned about the arrival of the two new Khon Ma terrorists on the station. As Bashir reacts in alarm, Garak suggests that the two of them working together might be able to uncover the terrorists plans. Over Bashirs protests and confusion, Garak urgently suggests that the doctor should come by his clothing shop at *exactly* 20:55 that night, to buy a new suit. A befuddled Bashir agrees, and excuses himself.Up in Ops, Sisko asks Kira about the two newly arrived terroristsdoes she trust them the way she trusts Tahna? Kira pauses, then con_rms that she does. Before the conversation can proceed, Bashir enters, calling for Siskos attention, and Kira seizes the opportunity to leave. Bashir tells a distracted Sisko about his meeting with the Cardassian, which Sisko seems disinclined to take an interest inuntil the doctor mentions that it has something to do with the terrorists, and Siskos attention is caught. Sisko comments that Garak is probably trying to open an unof_cial communication channel with the Federation people, and urges Bashir to meet with Garak as the Cardassian requested, saying, I think, Doctor, you could de_nitely use a new suit.A disturbed Kira goes to speak with Odo in his of_ce. At _rst she makes small talk, but then confesses to the Constable that she is confused about who the enemy is, and who she should be _ghting. She is unable to decide if Tahna is right about the Federation, and whether or not she should help him. Either way_I betray someone.Odo says, The only thing that is important is not to betray *yourself*. Kira considers taking a neutral position, neither helping nor hindering the Khon Mas plan, but realizes that the Khon Ma would just _nd some way to complete their plan without her. It was so much easier when I knew who the enemy was. Odo then summons Sisko to Security to hear Kiras story.Bashir arrives at Garaks shop two minutes late, to Garaks agitation. The clothier thrusts a jacket into the doctors hands and shoves him into a dressing room without allowing Bashir to get a word out, telling him to stay put and be *very* quiet. A minute later, the two Klingon sisters enter the store, and, as Bashir listens, they seal an agreement with Garak for the delivery of Tahna to the Cardassians.Garak convinces them to reveal the details of the arrangement: they are to rendezvous with Tahna in four hours on the dark side of Bajor Eights lower moon, and sell him a cylinder of bilitrium. They depart. Garak lets Bashir out of the dressing room, and explains to him that bilitrium is an element that, when combined with a matter-antimatter converter, makes an excellent bomb. And the reason that the Cardassians were chasing Tahna in the _rst place is because he had successfully stolen the required converter. There is a staff conference in Ops as the crew discuss the situation and what action to take. It is decided that if the terrorists are allowed to obtain the bilitrium, they can be caught with the makings of a bomb in their possession and held on conspiracy charges. Therefore, it will be necessary to let Tahna use a Runabout to make the rendezvous. Kira insists, over Siskos doubts, that she must accompany Tahna on the ship, or his suspicions will be aroused. Kira and Tahna board the Yangtze Kian, while Sisko and OBrien, already at the rendezvous point in the Ganges, await their arrival. On the Yangtze Kian, Tahna charges up his converter as a Klingon ship uncloaks nearby, to Kiras feigned surprise. Lursa and Betor transport aboard, quickly trade the cylinder of bilitrium for Tahnas sack of gold, and depart. As soon as the Bird of Prey leaves, the Ganges moves to intercept her sister ship. Tahna realizes that both a Runabout and a Cardassian warship are headed for them, and orders Kira to take the Yangtze Kian into warp. Kira refuses, and lunges for a phaser, but Tahna fells her with a punch and takes the weapon away. He covers the major with the phaser, ordering her to set course for the station; if she does not, he will set off the device, which will destroy thousands of people in the colonies on Bajor Eight. Kira gives in, and the Runabout heads toward DS9 as the Ganges and the Cardassian vessel pursue. Sisko hails the Yangtze Kian, threatening to _re, but Tahna replies that if he does, the device will be detonated, spreading radiation throughout the system. On board the Yangtze Kian, Tahna orders Kira to change course away from the station and toward the wormhole, and Kira realizes that his plan is not to attack DS9, but to destroy the wormhole, thus removing the source of both Federation and Cardassian interest from Bajor. Kira is aghast, and as Tahna orders her to take the ship out of warp, she instead slams the control panel and the ship lurches, throwing both her and Tahna to the wall.Instead of _ying past the wormhole, the Yangtze Kian enters it, as Kira and Tahna _ght for control within. The ship emerges in the Gamma Quadrant seconds before Tahna _nally evades Kira and hits the button to launch and detonate the device. It explodes harmlessly in open space. The Ganges follows the Yangtze Kian through a momentlater. Sisko hails the ship, demanding Tahnas surrender, but Tahna threatens to kill Kira unless Sisko does as Tahna asks. Sisko informs him that he has a choice of surrendering now to the Federation, or of surrendering to the Cardassians when they arrive in a moment. Tahna, trapped, hands the phaser to Kira and surrenders. Kira brings Tahna into the station at gunpoint and Odo shackles him and leads him away. As he goes, Kira tries once more to convince Tahna that his methods were wrong. He replies with a single word: Traitor. tc "A Man Alone"A Man Alone Episode Number: 403Air Date: 1/16/93

As the show opens, Dax is seated in a empty room, contemplating an iridescent sphere which is hovering in front of her. Bashir enters and makes small talk, extending an invitation to dinner with champagne, but is distracted by the shimmering sphere. Dax explains that its a puzzle, the object being to make the bubble a solid color by achieving perfect mental focus. Bashir wants to give it a try, but cant seem to get his mind off of Dax, and when she turns the game over to him the bubble _ares into a thousand colors and then bursts. Thrown offstride, Bashir once again asks Dax to supper, but Commander Sisko appears at the door to the room, and it turns out Dax has a prior engagement. Sisko and Dax leave as a downcast Bashir starts the game again.In Quarks, Odo and Quark are discussing the changes that the wormhole has brought to the station. They notice Keiko and Miles OBrien having an argument on the second level of the restaurant, which leads Odo into a long, cynical commentary about human relationships. Dax and Sisko enter, and Quark and Odo discuss the nature of the relationship between the commander and the science of_cer, until Odo notices a Bajoran newcomer at the Dabo table, and reacts with angry alarm to the mans presence.Dax and Sisko discuss their relationship, past and current, and Sisko confesses to being uncomfortable with Dax as Jadzia; he misses Curzon. Dax says she misses Curzon as well. They look over at the table where the OBriens are sitting and notice that their argument has culminated with Keiko striding off in anger. Down below, Odo confronts the stranger, telling him to get off the station, and attempts to physically enforce his command. Sisko rushes down to break up the _ght. Odo gives the stranger twenty-six hours to get off the station. Up on the second level, Keiko tells OBrien that she feels useless on DS9, since her skills arent needed and she has no of_cial post. She asks if OBrien really wants to raise Molly in a place like this. The conversation ends as OBrien is called away to a repair job. On the lower level of the Promenade, Jake _nds the Ferengi boy, Nog, and attempts to befriend him. In Siskos of_ce, Odo tells Sisko that the strangers name is Ibudan, and that he is a former black marketeer with a very bad reputation who had been sent to jail a few years back for murdering a Cardassian. Odo was responsible for the man being caught. Ibudan has been released by the provisional government which doesnt consider murdering a Cardassian to be much of a crime. Odo wants to throw the man off the station, but Sisko tells Odo he has no reason to force the man to leave, and asks the Constable not to take the law into his own hands. Odo insists that laws may change, but justice doesntand Sisko threatens to replace him if he cant work within the rules. In a holosuite, Ibudan is enjoying a massage program, when without warning someone wearing black gloves shove sthe masseuse aside, raises a large knife, and stabs viciously downward.On the Promenade, Jake and Nog examine a small box of Nogs which contains a number of tiny insects. The boys run off, giggling, as Bashir enters the hallway and, seeing Dax walking nearby, joins her. They make small talk about Trills and relationships (which Dax says are considered a nuisance) until Bashir is summoned to the holosuites by Sisko.Nog sneaks up behind a couple eating dinner and releases his bugs, then runs back to where Jake is watching from a good vantage point. The couple begin to itch madly, then change colors, as Nog and Jake watch, laughing. The effects stop after a moment, as does the boys amusement when they are collared and take away by a security man. Keiko, who has been watching, looks both disturbed and thoughtful. In the holosuites, Sisko, Kira, Odo, and Bashir are gathered around the dead body of Ibudan. Odo comments that the records show the door was opened twice: the _rst time, to allow Ibudan in, after which the door was secured, and then again thirteen minutes later, presumably to allow the killer to exit. The killer must therefore have entered at the same time Ibudan did. Bashir announces that Ibudan was killed by a single blow, straight to the heart. Sisko orders Bashir to do a forensic sweep of the room, and tells Kira to keep all ships from leaving until further notice.In the OBrien quarters, Keiko tells Miles that she has decided that what the station needs is a school, to keep the kids out of trouble. Kira is called into Siskos of_ce, where Sisko introduces her to a Bajoran man, Zayra, who says that Ibudan was afraid that Odo would try to kill him. Odo goes to the ship that Ibudan arrived in and discovers that Ibudan had booked double quarters. Odo asks the shipmaster for a list of all passengers who were on board, and checks Ibudans computerized personal calendar. He discovers that it shows Ibudan intended to meet with Odo at the time he was killed. In the Sisko quarters, Keiko explains her idea to Sisko, who approves and offers her space and materials to get things started. But he warns Keiko that he cant require people to send their kids to the school, and that Keiko may encounter problems with the variety of races and cultures on the station. After she leaves, Sisko tells Jake that he doesnt want his son associating with Nog any more.In the in_rmary, Bashir tells Dax, Kira, and Odo that his sweep of the holosuite indicated that, excluding the staff who were present after the murder, no one was in the holosuite except Ibudan. Odo points out that this would seem to mean that one of the staff was the murdererand that of them all, only he himself had a means of entry.Down in Ops, Odo discusses the evidence with Kira and concludes that its quite damning. Furthermore, he has no alibi; he was regenerating in a pail in his of_ce at the time of the murder. He can think of about _ve hundred people who might want to frame him for murder, but none of them have been on the station recently. Odo asks Kira to send Bashir over to Ibudans ship quarters to check them out for evidence. In Quarks, Keiko attempts to convince Nogs father, Rom, to send Nog to her school. Rom is uninterested, until Keiko suggests that learning about other cultures might give Nog a competitive edge over other Ferengi. Rom says hell think about it. Elsewhere in the restaurant, Zayra is talking to some other Bajorans, stirring up trouble by reminding them that Odo used to work for the Cardassians. Quark comes to Odos defense, saying that Odo is a curmudgeon but neither a Cardassian stooge nor a murderer. At one end of the bar, a cloaked, older Bajoran man watches the proceedings with interest. On Ibudans ship, Dr. Bashir completes a detailed forensic sweep of the victims quarters.In Ops, Zayra leads a group of Bajorans to Sisko and Kira, expressing concern about Odos reliability, given the evidence. Kira sends them away with a sharp word, and they depart, looking unhappy. Sisko tells Kira that he understands why they dont like the idea of the primary suspect in a murder case being in charge of the investigation. Kira objects, saying that Odo has had plenty of opportunity to cover his tracks if he were guilty, but Sisko decides to take Odo off the case.Odo and Bashir discuss Bashirs results in the in_rmary. The only strange thing Bashir found was the remains of a biological sample container with some organic molecules, including some odd DNA fragments, still on them. The remains were near the waste reclamation unit, suggesting that someone had tried to dispose of the shards. Odo is called away to Ops as Bashir puts the pieces into a growth tank to see what the DNA fragments will turn into. In Siskos of_ce, Sisko tells Odo that because of his status as a suspect, Odo is being relieved of duty temporarily; Kira and Dax will be taking over the investigation. Although Sisko tries to reassure Odo that he personally believes in the Constables innocence, Odo is unconvinced; he harshly questions Siskos assumptions about him, and leaves. Odo arrives at his security of_ce to discover the place has been broken into and wrecked. Quark comes by and offers to _nd out who was responsible, and Odo suggests he tell Star_eet. They get into a testy exchange over Odos loss of authority, which ends with Odo offering to join Quarks organization. Quark is almost convinced of Odos seriousness. Quark then offers Odo some information that Quark had learned about Ibudan; the victim had no enemies from his days in the Cardassian prison, and he hung around mostly with a group of Bajoran dissidents. In the in_rmary, the sample Bashir obtained from Ibudans ship quarters has become an amorphous blob that is continuing to grow very quickly. The DNA patterns look humanoid, but with some puzzling discrepancies. Sisko asks Dax to lunch, but winds up with Bashir instead. In Quarks, Sisko and Bashir discuss Jadzia Dax over lunch, and Sisko tells the fascinated doctor some of his previous history with the Trill when she was Curzon Dax. The two of them notice Odo sitting down at Quarks bar and being shunned by the rest of the people there, who all get up and leave. Elsewhere on the Promenade, Keiko is supervising the establishment of the schoolroom, as Miles and Molly drop by to see her. Keiko expresses worries that no one will come, and Miles gives her a gift of an old-fashioned schoolbell. Their conversation is interrupted by the sound of shouts coming from outside, and OBrien heads off to see what the problem is. He spots Odo being followed by an angry mob yelling epithets. The shapeshifter takes cover in his of_ce, as OBrien calls for security. Dr. Bashir looks out the door of the in_rmary at the mob, worried, and then goes back in to look at the thing growing in his tank, which is now roughly man-sized. Security arrives and tries to keep the mob away from Odos of_ce, but as Sisko and Kira arrive with more help, the mob turns ugly and becomes violent. The mysterious older Bajoran in the black cloak watches from the sidelines.In the in_rmary, Dax and Bashir are still hard at work trying to identify the thing in the tank, as Bashir suddenly gets an inspiration. Outside, Sisko pushes his way to the front of the mob to try and calm them down. His efforts are met with shouts, and _ghting starts to break out, forcing the commander to _re a warning shot from his phaser to restore order. Odo emerges from his of_ce as the crowd shouts for justice, and Sisko urges them not to condemn Odo just because hes different. Zayra insists that the evidence is what is condemning Odo. Just then, Dax and Bashir come out of the in_rmary, and Bashir tells Sisko that theyve discovered evidence that the man who was murdered was *not* Ibudan. Sisko and Odo follow the doctor to the tank, where Bashir tells them that the thing in the vat is a clone of Ibudan, as was the person who was killed in the holosuite. Odo says he has an idea where to _nd the real Ibudan.Aboard a docked ship, the cloaked, older Bajoran man enters his quarters. One of the chairs _ows and shifts, becoming Odo, to the mans shock and anger. Odo informs the man that he can _nd no record of the mans arrival on the station, and suggests that perhaps he spent the last few years in a Cardassian prison with Bajoran dissidents, one of whom was a Bajoran scientist who experimented with triphasic cloning. The man makes a break for the door, but Odo grabs him and peels off his mask and hair, revealing Ibudan. Killing your own clone is still murder, says the Constable. Sisko dictates his station log, saying that Ibudan has been turned over to the authorities, and that as yet Odo has received no apologies from the members of the mob. On the Promenade, its the _rst day of school, and at _rstit looks as if only Jake will be there. A few moments later, however, Rom brings Nog in and sits him down, followed shortly thereafter by a few more students. And classes begin.tc "Babel"Babel Episode Number: 405Air Date: 1/23/93

The episode opens with OBrien working overtime trying to _x all the broken systems on DS9, especially the food replicators. While _xing a food replicator in the stations command center, he causes a _are of light and a sputter of electrical discharge, but the replicator works _ne after this display and OBrien seems satis_ed.As he leaves, he fails to notice that there is a device attached to the inside of the replicator which fairly clearly does not belong there.Later, in Ops, OBrien begins to complain of being hot, and shortly thereafter begins to speak incoherently. Kira notices and drags him off to the in_rmary. Bashir diagnoses OBriens problem as aphasia but is unable to _nd the cause. There is a staff meeting in Ops where the senior staff discuss OBriens problem and its possible sources, but fail to really get anywhere. In the middle of the meeting, Dax also goes incoherent. In the in_rmary, Bashir tells Sisko that hes traced the problem to a virus that interferes with synaptic transmission, causing the victim to be unable to communicate. Two more victims of the virus are brought in, and Sisko orders the station quarantined. After more analysis, Bashir reports that he thinks the virus is being ingested, and that he analyzed the stations food and found the virus in all of the command-center replicators. He is also getting patients in from non-command parts of the station, however. Odo reports that this is Quarks fault, for using the command replicators to produce food for his restaurant since the restaurants replicators were broken. At this point Bashir becomes worried and runs a check on the stations air supply and _nds out that the virus has become airborne, and everyone on the station is infected. Kira examines the command center replicators and locates the mysterious device. She identi_es it as being of Cardassian make due to its power supply. However, Bashirs research indicates that the virus isnt Cardassian at all, its a Bajoran biological weapon. The of_cers conclude that the device was probably planted by the Bajoran underground at the time of the stations building, intended for use against the Cardassians, but for some reason never triggered. Sisko assigns Kira the job of tracking down the Bajoran scientist who created the virus in order to obtain the antidote from him. Meanwhile, sixty percent of the stations personnel have been affected, including Siskos son, Jake. And some of the _rst patients have taken a turn for the worse, including OBrien. Bashir states that OBrien and the other serious patients have around twelve hours to live.Kira has had little luck tracking down her Bajoran scientist; all reports indicate he has been dead for years. However, she has obtained a lead on an associate of the scientists whom she hopes might know something. She contacts the man but he is not interested in conversation. She tells Sisko she wants to go and meet with the man in person; he doesnt want her to break quarantine, but Odo urges Sisko to let her goShes all youve got. The station has turned into a ghost town; nearly all the personnel have the virus by now, including Dr. Bashir. Up in Ops, a serious situation develops with only Sisko and Odo there to man the boards. A panicky ship captain tries to forcibly undock his ship from the station. After failing to convince the captain to stay, Sisko decides to release his ship from the docking clamps and grab him with a tractor beam after hes clear of the station. However, the captains attempts to free his ship have disabled the clamps, which fail to release. The damage to the ship is severe and it is in danger of exploding and taking a good chunk of the station with it. As Sisko and Odo decide to try releasing the clamps manually, Sisko begins to speak incoherently and collapses. Odo calls for help from anyone, and gets Quark, who transports Odo over to the damaged ship (after playing with Odos mind a bit.) Down on Bajor, Kira locks onto the coordinates of the associate and beams him aboard. She demands that he give her the antidote. He informs her that _rst of all, he didnt make the virus, and second, that as far as he knows the man who did make it didnt bother to make a counteragent. Kira then informs the man that hed better be willing to try to make one, because she has exposed him to the virus by beaming him aboard the runabout.Back on DS9, Odo just barely manages to release the damaged ship in time; it explodes a short distance from the station, shaking DS9 but not damaging it. Kira gets the associate to the in_rmary, where he sets to work on the antidote as Kira too falls victim to the virus and begins babbling. However, the associate, picking up where Bashir left off, manages to create the counteragent in time, and everyone on the station is saved.

The episode opens with Sisko dealing with an upset employee of Quarks who signed an unwise contract. He is called away from the meeting by the announcement that something is coming through the wormhole.The ship that appears is of unknown type, and damaged; it is the _rst arrival of a native from the Gamma Quadrant at the station. The ship is in danger of falling apart; Sisko offers to beam the pilot (a lizardish humanoid) off his ship, but he refuses to leave it, so instead they lock onto the ship with a tractor beam and bring it into the station that way. Dax suggests that given the new arrivals odd behavior, they suspend standard _rst contact procedures. Sisko agrees, and sends OBrien down to the newcomers ship alone to greet the newcomer and see about getting his ship repaired.OBrien arrives at the ship and discovers the pilot seemingly isnt there, although Dax insists that the sensors show he is. OBrien starts to poke around on the ship, and the pilot appears out of thin air; he seems to have the ability to turn invisible at will. OBrien and the pilot chat, a bit awkwardly; the pilot identi_es himself as I am Tosk.OBrien brings Tosk aboard DS9; they pass through a portal which _ashes brightly as OBrien walks into it. Tosk is startled; OBrien explains that this is a weapons scanner which is picking up on his phaser. OBrien and Tosk tour the station, and begin to develop a rapport of sorts. OBrien shows Tosk to a guest room and leaves him there. Tosk immediately calls up a computer display and asks it to show him where the weapons are, which it does.OBrien and Sisko talk about their visitor. OBrien suspects Tosk is hiding something, and may possibly be on the run. Sisko assigns OBrien and Odo to keeping an eye on the newcomer. OBrien and Tosk try to repair Tosks ship, and make some progress. Then OBrien takes Tosk to visit Quarks, resulting in an three-way conversation during which Tosk drops cryptic references to what his purpose is. OBrien tries to get more details out of Tosk, but is told I cannot discuss it. There is a conference in Ops about the visitor. OBrien details Tosks suspicious behavior, but defends the newcomer, saying that he doesnt think Tosk means the station any harm. The others arent convinced. Sisko suggests that if Tosk doesnt want to tell them the truth about his mission and motives, OBrien should simply repair Tosks ship and send him on his way. Tosk is playing with a wall device in a seemingly deserted corridor. A painting on the wall morphs into Odo, who confronts Tosk about his activities. Tosk goes invisible and tries to escape; Odo is not impressed. He orders the corridor sealed, and Tosk _nds himself trapped between force_elds, with security men closing in on both sides. Tosk agrees not to _ght them, and is taken into custody. Sisko and Odo interview Tosk; the device he had been attempting to circumvent was a security interlock on the weapons storage area, and Sisko is not happy about this. Tosk says I cannot discuss it. Sisko is even less happy. Sisko and Odo exit, leaving OBrien with Tosk. Tosk begs OBrien to let him die with honor. OBrien is upset that Tosk is talking about dying.OBrien goes to speak with Odo, telling him Tosk is very unhappy about being caged. Odo comments that its not his concern if his prisoners dont like the quality of his jail cells. OBrien says that he _nds himself liking Tosk and feels responsible for his being locked up. Odo fails to comprehend this.Another ship passes through the wormhole to DS9. It scans the station, then powers up transporters. Sisko orders shields up. The ship _res an odd weapon on the station which reverses the polarity of the shields, allowing the people on the ship to transport through. A team of three armed and armored humanoids appear on the station; Sisko, Odo, Kira, and security people rush to confront them. Odo makes a grab for one of them and is promptly decked. A shootout occurs, during which Odo states that he refuses to use a phaser. Several of the invaders are taken down, as are several DS9 personnel. One of the invaders blasts his way through a door and _nds Tosk in a cell. The invader announces that The hunt is over, and then proceeds to viciously berate Tosk for his poor performance. He asks if Tosk broke his oath of silence to get the DS9 people to help him; Tosk denies having done so. Sisko arrives at the cell and is distinctly not happy about these events. When he learns that the invaders are Hunters and that Tosk, a clearly sentient and highly intelligent being, is their designated prey, he is revulsed and furious. He confronts the hunt leader in his of_ce; the hunt leader defends his actions, saying that Tosk were created and bred for the hunt and that they are the highly honored for their role in it, provided that they make the hunt an interesting one. Sisko deplores the whole idea, but when the hunt leader states that from now on the wormhole and the area behind it will be considered out of bounds so that no more hunts will come near DS9, Sisko sees no alternative but to grant his request that the Tosk be turned over to the hunters. Sisko explains to OBrien that he has agreed to give the hunters what they want, to OBriens dismay. Kira suggests that perhaps Tosk could be given asylum aboard DS9; Sisko says that if Tosk asks, Sisko would be willing to do that. OBrien rushes down to Tosks cell to get him to request asylum, but Tosk refuses, saying that would be dishonorable, and he does not wish to further dishonor himself.OBrien leaves, saddened by his inability to help Tosk. OBrien goes to Quarks to drown his sorrows. Quark comes over and tries to pry information out of OBrien; OBrien angrily tells Quark to mind his own business, but eventually con_des that he is upset over his inability to keep Tosk from being taken away to a miserable life of captivity by the hunters.He states that he hates the way everyone seems to be playing by the rules and then, looking at Quark, gets an inspiration.OBrien goes to where Tosk, leashed in humiliation, is being led off by the hunters. OBrien tells Odo that he has orders from Sisko to escort Tosk off the station; Odo angrily strides off to go confront Sisko over this interference in security matters. The hunt leader is also unsure about OBrien, but OBrien feeds him a line of blarney that the hunt leader buys, and, with the hunt leader reassured, they head off to the hunters ship. Just before leaving Security, however, OBrien unobtrusively removes and leaves behind his communicator pin. Odo complains to Sisko and is told that Sisko issued no such orders to OBrien. Back at the docks, the hunt leader steps into the portal which contains the weapon scannerand is knocked violently backward by an energy discharge. OBrien then decks him with a solid right cross, and comments to Tosk, Glass jaw. No wonder he wears a helmet. Tosk and OBrien run off. The hunt leader picks himself up and announces into his commlink: The hunt has resumed.OBrien is trying to lead Tosk to Tosks ship, but a hunter transports in behind them and levels a weapon. Tosk leaps at the hunter and dispatches him with violent ef_ciency, leaving OBrien looking startled and a bit taken aback.In Ops, the commotion is noticed, and the position of OBrien and Tosk is pinpointed. Odo says hell seal off their exit routes, but Sisko stops him, telling him thoughtfully, Constabletheres no hurry. Odo stares blankly at Sisko for a moment, then slowly nods, and walks off to Security at a nice, leisurely pace. OBrien and Tosk are crawling through an access tunnel; OBrien uses his phaser to cut Tosk free of the collar and leash the hunters had put on him. Tosk comments to OBrien that Now you are Tosk, too. They jump another hunter and Tosk claims the hunters weapon. Then they run into the hunt leader and two of his companions; Tosk _res his captured weapon, hitting the hunt leader square in the chest and felling all three of the hunters with the blast. The hunters are left in a smoking heap as Tosk and OBrien run on.They reach Tosks ship, where Tosk offers OBrien a chance to come along. OBrien demurs. Tosk wonders if OBrien is now in trouble with his people; OBrien says Maybe. But I gave the hunters what they wanted_a hunt. Tosk tells OBrien Die with honor. OBrien returns the salute to Tosk, and Tosk departs. In the _nal scene, Sisko is giving OBrien a thorough chewing-out for his behavior. OBrien admits that he tinkered with the weapons scanner so that it would deck the hunt leader when he tried to walk through it; Sisko points out that this is assault, and comments that he has half of Star_eet eagerly awaiting his report on the _rst encounter with life forms from Gamma Quandrant, and what exactly is he supposed to tell them? OBrien defends his actions, saying that he gave both Tosk and the hunters what they wanted: an interesting hunt. Sisko is unimpressed and threatens in no uncertain terms to can OBrien if he does anything like this again. OBrien then wonders why they werent stopped, commenting that he thought that Sisko and Odo would have little trouble catching them once they knew what was going on. Sisko pauses, then says, Well, I guess that one got by us.OBrien leaves. Sisko shakes his head and grins, though its a bit rueful. tc "Qless"Qless Episode Number: 407Air Date: 2/06/93

As the show opens, Bashir is coming on to a comely young Bajoran woman in the stations dining area, while OBrien listens in at a nearby table, occasionally shooting glances of disbelief over at the doctor and his companion. Bashir is forced to abandon his advances when a call comes over the communicator asking him and OBrien to report to Sisko at Landing Pad Five.At the Landing Pad, Sisko and Kira are trying to gain access to the Ganges, which has apparently just returned from a trip through the wormhole with Lt. Dax and Ensign Pauli aboard. Something has gone wrong, however; the doors to the ship wont open, and the people inside are running out of oxygen. As OBrien goes to work on the runabouts door, Bashir scans the craft and announces that there are *three* people inside, not two.OBrien gets the doors open, and is quite surprised to discover that the mysterious third passenger is none other than Vash. Dax says they found her in Gamma Quadrant, where she had been for two years. As the passengers are helped off to the in_rmary, a crewman working on the runabouts doorturns his head as they walk byand is revealed as Q.Dr. Bashir checks out Vash in the in_rmary and pronounces her _t, then makes a not very subtle pass at her, which Vash neatly catches, departing with an inviting smile.Sisko discusses Vash with Dax; he is disturbed by her inexplicable presence in the Gamma Quadrant. He tells Dax to run a background check on her. Vash takes some artifacts which she brought back from Gamma Quadrant to a storage area on the station. Among them is a large, glowing, faceted crystalline object. On her way out she meets Sisko, and tells him shes leaving the station as soon as possible. Sisko tries to question her, but Vash is very uninformative. They discuss Vashs history a bit, and Sisko offers to arrange passage for her back to Earth; Vash says that shed like that.OBrien checks out the Ganges,and _nds that the ship is _ne except for the unexplained power drain that caused its systems to fail. Sisko questions OBrien about Vash, and OBrien tells him of Vashs history with Picard. As they are talking, there is a brief power outage on the station. In Ops, the staff confers about the unexplained power loss; Dax notes that it was accompanied by a graviton _ux, which was the same thing she saw on the shuttle. OBrien shows Vash to her quarters. She asks how Jean-Luc is and is told that hes _ne; she says shell have to go look him up, now that shes back. OBrien leaves and Vash starts to unpack, as Q appears. They argue. She wants him to go away and leave her alone; he doesnt believe shes serious and refuses to leave. They argue heatedly and exchange insults. Quark shows up at an inopportune moment and Q vanishes him, angering Vash further. She makes Q bring him back, and Q does so, vanishing himself at the same time. Quark wants to bargain for Vashs items from Gamma Quadrant. They arrange a partnership to sell her items, while Vash gives Quark an ear massage. Q returns when Quark is gone and makes insulting comments. The door to Vashs room chimes again; this time its Bashir, with a dinner invitation for Vash which she accepts, while Q mocks Bashir behind his back. After Bashir leaves, Q makes more obnoxious comments, and Vash is less than pleased by his behavior. Bashir is waiting for Vash in the dining area when Q shows up, dressed as a Bajoran waiter, and warns the doctor away from Vash.Bashir is affronted by Qs comments, and confronts him, at which point Q tells Bashir that he looks tired. Bashir has a bout of uncontrollable yawning, and leaves the dining area in confusion. OBrien has noticed this activity and recognized Q. He mutters Bloody Hell! and runs off to tell Sisko of the unwelcome visitor to DS9. The staff confer about Q, and OBrien suggests that they speak to Vash about him. There is another inexplicable temporary power outage, which the staff concludes must be Qs fault. Quark and Vash are haggling over her loot. Sisko comes over to talk to Vash about Q, but Q is sitting nearby and joins the conversation on his own behalf. Q insults Sisko, and Sisko tells Q to leave the station, accusing him of causing the power problems. Q acts innocent and complains of being persecuted, then resumes needling Sisko. Sisko requests a private talk with Q, so Q makes everyone else vanish. Sisko is not amused. Q returns everyone, but changes the setting so the Quarks has become a boxing arena, with himself and Sisko dressed in old-fashioned boxing out_ts. Q throws a few ineffectual punches at Sisko, whose patience abruptly snaps; he soundly nails Q with a one-two punch combination, sending him to the mat. Q:You hit me! Picard never hit me! Sisko: Im not Picard. Q: Indeed not_youre much easier to provoke.Quarks buyers are arriving for the auction. There is another power outage, accompanied by a series of minor hull breaches, caused by focussed graviton pulses, source unknown. Dax suggests that it might be time to negotiate with Q, but Sisko comments that he thinks the stations problems may not be Qs fault, as they are not Qs style of practical joke. Odo confronts Quark about the auction of the artifacts; Quark is incensed at Odos eavesdropping and Odo is smug. Quark says, I have nothing to hide. Im selling quality merchandise to select clientele. Odo asks, What makes them so_select?, and Quark repliesTheyre all ridiculously wealthy_and not too bright. Odo makes a contemptuous speech about the humanoid penchant for acquiring material goods; Quark then tries to tempt Odo with various types of luxuries, with very minor success.Vash is heading for the auction when Q arrives and taunts her, then torments her by making her diseased and old. He restores her after telling her that she should reconsider his offer of friendship. Sisko tells the station log that the power is continuing to be converted to gravitons, and life support will fail in fourteen hours. The staff confers, and comes up with a plan to trace the power drain. Q appears and is insulting. Still chasing your own tail? Picard and his lackeys would have stopped all this technobabble hours ago. No wonder youre not commanding a starship! After still more insults, Q tells the staff that Vash is the more dangerous one of the two of them. The graviton _eld is intensifying and the station is being pulled out of position. The staff is unable to stop itand it is headed straight into the wormhole. Down in Quarks, the auction is proceeding on the Promenade.Up in Ops, the staff is trying to track down the drain. They narrow it to the station core but cant get a more precise reading than that. Its eighteen minutes before the station will enter the wormhole and be torn to pieces. Q shows up at the auction and informs the bidders that the station is doomed. Vash angrily confronts Q, who offers to save her if she asks. She declines his offer.Back in Ops, the staff takes a desperate risk, bringing the reactors back on line to cause the power drain to become intense enough to be pinpointed accurately. The auction continues below. The faceted glowing crystal is up for sale, and the bidding is heavy. In Ops, the drain has been pinpointed to the Promenade. The staff rush down and _nd that its the glowing crystal which is causing it, and Sisko orders OBrien to beam it off of the station. OBrien does so, and the crystal explodes in a _are of light, hatching into a glowing manta-like creature which sails through the wormhole, leaving the station safely behind. Vash and Quark discuss Vashs future plans; Quark tells her of a new dig opening up on a distant planet. She professes not to be interested, preferring instead a nice quiet post on Earth. Quark is unconvinced. Q shows up and beings to harass Vash yet again; she again tells him to get lost and _nally he agrees, regretfully, and leaves. Vash decides to check out the new dig after all.Bashir, just now waking up, shows up in Quarks and asks Dax if he missed anything. Dax smiles.tc "Dax"DaxEpisode Number: 8Air Date: 2/13/93

The show opens with Sisko dictating his station log. He comments that Chief OBrien has gone on leave with Keiko, and the rest of the staff are trying to keep the station running without him. Their success at that appears to be only moderately good as the scene switches to the dining area, where Dax and Bashir are sharing a meal and Bashir is complaining about some malfunctioning machinery while Dax speculates on the origin of some of the Cardassian technology on the station. After some more small talk, Bashir makes his most blatant advance on Dax yet seen, which Dax simply pretends not to hear, leaving Bashir looking downcast (but not defeated.) Neither of them notice three strangers spying on the two diners from a shadowy side corridor. The lurkers identify Dax, and their intentions do not appear to be pleasant.The meal over, Bashir offers to escort Dax to her quarters; she tells him its not necessary and walks off alone. As she leaves, she is stalked by the three mysterious observers. Meanwhile, back at the table, Bashir decides that that wasnt *quite* a No he heard, and proceeds to head off after Dax anyway. As a result, he is a witness when the three strangers, having followed Dax to an unpopulated corridor, proceed to surround and assault the Trill, pinning her arms and gagging her. Bashir yells and charges the attackers, felling the closest one with an effective two-handed blow.Dax, seizing the opportunity of the distraction, also attacks one of the kidnappers. The third grapples with Bashir, who is acquitting himself well until he realizes hes _ghting with a woman, and holds his punch. This proves to be a mistake, as she quickly and ef_ciently _attens him. The third kidnapper pulls off Daxs comm badge and then slams her to the _oor, stunning her. The kidnappers then regroup and drag the groggy Dax off through the corridors of the station.Up in Ops, Sisko and Kira are having a problem tracking down a malfunction in some sort of graviton device, when Bashir regains consciousness and calls in. He tells Sisko that Jadzia has been abducted by three people; the computer cant locate her since her comm badge was removed. Sisko calls for a full station security alert, and there is a _urry of activity in Ops from Kira, Sisko, and Odo as they try to use the stations security devices to locate and trap the kidnappers. However, the kidnappers are remarkably well versed on the stations security and have planned ways to get around every maneuver the staff tries. They succeed in getting Dax aboard their ship as the staff _nally gets a lock on their location. Sisko realizes that the graviton malfunction he and Kira had been tracing is a deliberate sabotage of the stations tractor beam generator, obviously designed to keep them from stopping the ships departure; he swiftly begins to try to get the tractor beam working again, and manages to do so just in time to keep the ship from leaving with Dax aboard.The kidnappers and their victim are met at the airlock by Odo and a security team, with Sisko and Kira close by. The leader of the three approaches Sisko and presents a warrant for Daxs arrest; he says that under the terms of an extradition treaty between the Federation and his home planet of Klaestron Four, Sisko must release Dax to him. Sisko asks what the charges are; the man states that Dax is wanted for treason, and for the murder of the mans father, General Tandro. At that name, Dax reacts in recognition, and then her expression becomes intense and thoughtful, but she says nothing.The murder of which Dax is accused occurred thirty years ago, during the time that Daxs previous incarnation, Curzon Dax, was acting as a Federation mediator in Klaestron Fours civil war. Sisko reminisces to Odo about Curzon Dax, stating that while Curzon wasnt a perfect person, he certainly wasnt a murderer. He also states that he is surprised that Curzon never mentioned Klaestron Four to him. Odo takes a more suspicious view of Dax; unlike Sisko, he does not immediately assume that Dax is innocent of the charges.Sisko goes to talk to Dax about these events. He tells her that he is stalling for time by requesting a con_rmation of the warrant, being unable to come up with a better delaying tactic. Sisko asks Dax to tell him what this is all about. She refuses to talk about it, thanks him for his offer to help, but appears to be resigned to her fate. Sisko is angered by Daxs refusal to talk to him, and presses her more strongly for an explanation, which she bluntly declines to give him. They have an emotional discussion about whether Siskos friendship with Curzon Dax has carried over to Jadzia; Jadzia states that it has, but regardless, she will not give Sisko an explanation. In Siskos of_ce, Tandro again requests that he be allowed to leave with Dax; Sisko questions him about his reasons for attempting to kidnap Dax rather than coming to Sisko with the warrant in the _rst place. Tandro attempts to handwave past those events, but Sisko has _gured out Tandros reasons and pins him down on them. The station is *not* of_cially a Federation outpost; it is a Bajoran one. And Klaestron Four has no extradition treaty with Bajor. This means that Tandro cannot execute his warrant without _rst getting the agreement of the Bajorans. Tandro objects to this interpretation, saying that the Bajorans have no interest in the matter at all. Kira corrects him sharply: The Klaestrons are allies of the Cardassians; your knowledge of the station con_rms that. They must have given you the layout, which not only compromises Bajoran security but which _*annoys* us. With Sisko and Kira in agreement, they force Tandro to consent to an extradition hearing to determine whether the Klaestrons will be allowed to take Dax away for trial on Klaestron Four.Odo goes to Quarks to request that Quark shut his operations down for a while, as Quarks is the only place of suf_cient size to conduct the extradition hearing. Quark is not feeling cooperative and refuses. Odo then begins to comment on how Quarks place will need signi_cant remodeling in order to comply with the new building regulations the Bajoran provisional government has instituted, and how its Odos job to enforce those new regulations.Quark correctly identi_es this as blackmail, but, seeing no alternative, gives in. Odo joins Sisko in the hall outside Quarks. Sisko comments that they havent yet found a location in which to hold the hearing. Odo tells Sisko that Quark has volunteered his place, which surprises Sisko and causes him to comment, What a nice gesture. Odo replies: *I* thought so.Sisko tells Odo that he hasnt been able to get Dax to talk to him about the alleged crimes, and asks Odo to travel to Klaestron Four itself to look for answers. Odo is unconvinced that he will be able to get there and back in time, but agrees to go nonetheless. The elderly (but far from frail) Bajoran mediator arrives for the hearing and quickly lays down the ground rules by which she wishes events to proceed. Sisko and Tandro take turns presenting preliminary information about why Jadzia Dax should or should not be extradited to Klaestron Four. Tandro restates his case, and the mediator asks why he has waited thirty years to pursue these charges. He states that the facts relevant to the case had been sealed in military _les until they were recently opened. Sisko counters that the warrant speci_es *Curzon* Dax, not *Jadzia* Dax; Curzon was a man, while Jadzia is female, and clearly a different person. Tandro angrily replies that there is continuity from Curzon Dax to Jadzia Dax through the symbiont, and that therefore Jadzia can be held legally responsible for acts committed by Curzon. The mediator expresses dissatisfaction with Siskos having raised the question of the identity of the individual involved, but, now that he has done so, and given that the crimes of which Dax has been accused carry the death sentence on Klaestron Four, she charges the two participants with the task of convincing her whether or not Curzon Dax and Jadzia Dax should in fact be considered the same person. Sisko smiles reassuringly at Dax, expecting her to be encouraged or relieved, but instead she merely levels a noncommital stare at him, then turns away. Siskos smile fades.Sisko calls Kira and Bashir into his of_ce, and orders them to try to _nd evidence indicating that Jadzia Dax and Curzon Dax are two different people. He sets Bashir to working on it from the medical end and tells Kira to start going through Federation law looking for precedents on lawsuits involving Trills. He tells them earnestly that any evidence they _nd indicating that the two might in fact be regarded as the same person is to be considered *wrong*, and different evidence should be located. As he dismisses his two staffmembers, a call comes in from Odo on Klaestron Four. Odo has uncovered two facts: one, the Generals death in the war made the General a national hero to his people, and two, everyone who remembers the events of thirty years past says that the General and Curzon Dax were the closest of friends. Sisko says that sounds like the Curzon Dax he knew; Odo comments that treason and the murder of ones best friend sounds very nasty to him, and if Dax is in fact responsible then he, too, would like to see Dax pay the full price for those crimes. Odo states his intention to go and visit the Generals widow in an attempt to gain more information.Odo speaks with the Generals widow, Enina. Enina Tandro absolutely rejects the idea that Curzon Dax might have been responsible for the Generals death, and tells Odo that her son is obsessed with his fathers murder, and that she tried to keep him from reopening the case, but failed. Odo is only mildly interested in her personal opinion, preferring to have facts instead. She says that the only facts she has are in her sons possession and are not favorable to Dax. Apparently, there was a transmission made from the Generals headquarters to the enemy headquarters which revealed the Generals planned travel route for the following day; the General was subsequently ambushed, kidnapped, and killed by his captors. Only _ve people, including the General, had known the route that was to be taken, and of the remaining four, three of them could account for their location at the time the message was sent. The only one of the four with no alibi was Curzon Dax. This is the basis for the younger Tandros conviction that Dax was responsible. As the interview concludes, Enina asks Odo how Curzon Dax is, and is told that he has been dead for two years and has been replaced by Jadzia Dax. The Generals widow is shockedand then profoundly grievedby this news.Back at the extradition hearing, Tandro calls as an expert witness another Trill, Selin Peers, who is to testify on the Trill nature. Selin Peers has been dispatched to DS9 by the Trillian government for this purpose. Peers establishes that the memories of the symbiont are continuous through all of its lives, and that the symbiont also carries the emotions to go with those memoriesemotions such as guilt. Tandro then suggests to the moderator that what Sisko is proposing is the perfect crime; commit the act in one host, then escape capture long enough to switch hosts and thus become unaccountable for the offense.Sisko then questions Peers about at what age a host is joined to a symbiont, and is told not until their early to mid-twenties. This is to give the host time to develop its own personality fully, and to ensure that it is capable of making an informed decision about whether to join with a symbiont. Sisko asks if, in the joining process, the host personality is completely suppressed, and is told no, the two personalities merge. Sisko then tells the moderator that to him, this seems to indicate that the new host-symbiont pairing must be considered a completely new being. This assertion causes a shouting match to erupt between Sisko and Tandro, and the irritated mediator orders a two-hour recess. When the hearing resumes, the mediator rather drily states that in her opinion, the perfect solution would be to split Jadzia Dax down the middle, let Tandro have the symbiont Dax, and let Jadzia remain on the station. Bashir is on the stand at that point, to give his medical opinion, and the mediator asks him if this is possible.He tells her that its more complicated than that, to which she replies, in a perfect deadpan: What a surprise. She then requests more of an explanation, which Bashir proceeds to give, stating that after ninety-three hours the two parts of the Trill become dependent on each other for survival. The mediator then questions Bashir about whether or not, in his opinion, Curzon Dax and Jadzia Dax are the same person; Bashir replies with a very _rm negative, stating that by standard medical criteria, such as blood type, they arent the same person at all. Tandro objects, claiming that this is irrelevant; Bashir overrides him with a comment that it *is* relevant that Curzon Dax and Jadzia Dax dont have the same brainwave patterns.Tandro then questions Bashir, beginning by praising Bashirs work; Bashir does not appear swayed by the _attery. Tandro gets Bashir to state that there are two brains involved, that of the host and that of the symbiont, and he asks the doctor whether the two patterns can be separated, and if so, whether the patterns of the symbiont Dax are the same now as they were before when it was with Curzon. Bashir attempts to dodge the question, but in the end is forced to admit that such a distinction could be made, and that the symbionts brainwave patterns remain unchanged. Sisko then puts himself on the stand as the only person in the room who actually knew Curzon Dax, and has Kira act as questioner. He speaks of certain personality traits belonging to Curzon Dax that are patently not manifest in Jadzia Dax, such as drinking too much and chasing women. More is learned about the relationship that existed between Sisko and Curzon Dax, which goes to the time Sisko was an ensign. Sisko states that he doesnt consider Curzon Dax and Jadzia Dax to be the same person; Curzon Dax was an old friend of his, but Jadzia Dax is a new friend of his whom he is just beginning to get to know. Tandro then questions Sisko, again starting with _attery, saying that he can see Sisko is an honorable man. He asks whether or not, as an honorable man, Sisko wants the crime to go unpunished. He attempts to get Sisko to agree that the symbiont part of Dax should be punished for what Curzon Dax did; Sisko points out that there is no evidence that, if there were any crimes committed, that is was the symbiont *Dax* that was responsible and not the host *Curzon*. If it had been *Curzon* who was the criminal element, then Dax the symbiont is completely innocent, at which point the prosecutor states that *both* Curzon and Dax would be guilty in such a circumstance. He points out that Bashir has already witnessed that the two minds function as one in the Trill, and uses an analogy of salt dissolving in water to illustrate his point. Siskos eyes gleam as it becomes obvious that Tandro has fallen into his own semantic trap. Sisko points out that if you took the salt water and boiled away the water, then took the salt and dissolved it in some other liquid entirely, the end result would be a completely different substance than what you began with. The moderator, losing patience with all the semantic games, calls for a one-hour recess, at which time she wants to hear from Jadzia Dax herself on the witness stand. Sisko confronts Dax and tells her that if she wont defend herself, he wont let her testify. Kira points out that this is a hearing, not a trial, and therefore that Dax doesnt have that option. Dax gives Sisko an anguished look, and then leaves, still without saying a word. Odo reports in from Klaestron Four. He has gone through the communications log from the time period in question and discovered that there were many calls logged from Curzon Daxs residence to the Generals home when the General rather pointedly wasnt there. Odo states that this *could* be completely innocentbut on the other hand, it could have been an affair, which would make a decent motive for the murder.Odo goes to confront the Generals widow again, telling her of the evidence hes uncovered, not only of the calls between her and Curzon Dax but of gifts given and weekends spent together in remote locations. She is very upset by his badgering. Odo points out that this evidence will seriously hurt Daxs case if he brings it to light, and the widow angrily tells Odo that the Generals private image was very different from his public one, but that nonetheless she has protected his public image all these years and continues to do so.She has not stated the truth, she says, because no one wanted to hear it. Odo says that they may have to hear it now. After some soul-searching, Enina Tandro states that although she will continue to guard her husbands image, she may be willing to at last change her own. Back on DS9, Sisko is once again with Dax, trying to get her to talk. He accuses her of hiding the truth through a desire to protect Enina Tandros reputation, and says that there are worse things than an illicit love affair. He again tries to badger Dax into defending herself; Dax remains absolutely unresponsive and silent.This angers Sisko, who wonders aloud if Tandro is actually Curzons son; Dax quietly tells him that he has an overactive imagination. Sisko becomes very angry at this, and Dax comments on his temper, reminiscing about past times, which causes Sisko to accuse her of trying to distract him from the subject at hand. She tells Sisko to stop trying to protect her, and he replies that its his job to protect the people under his command, which she herself taught him.She corrects himit was Curzon Dax, not her. Sisko says he will stop trying to protect her the minute she tells him that Dax is in fact guilty; she again refuses to discuss it. One _nal time Sisko enjoins Dax to let him help her; once again, she refuses. At the hearing again, Sisko questions Dax, on the witness stand, about who she was before she became joined to a symbiont. Jadzia tells of wanting to be joined from an early age, and engaging in competitions and tests to prove her suitability, as apparently only a limited number of hosts actually become joined, and this is considered a great honor. Jadzia had gained degrees in four disparate _eldsExobiology, Zoology, Astrophysics, and Exo-Archeologyentirely on her own, before joining with Dax. Sisko speaks to the moderator about the injustice of this brilliant, independent young woman, Jadzia, being sentenced for a crime committed before she was even born. Tandro then asks Dax whether or not Jadzia understood the responsibilities she was undertaking when she chose to be joined with Dax, and whether or not she willingly accepted those responsibilities when she decided to become a host. She replies that yes, she did. He then asks if that responsibility includes responsibility for criminal acts. Before she can answer, Odo and Enina Tandro walk into the room. Enina approaches the mediator and announces that these proceedings are unnecessary, as Tandros accusations are erroneous.She then provides Daxs alibi; at the time that the traitorous message was sent, she and Curzon Dax were together, in bed. She then turns to reach out to her son, who, shocked and appalled, draws back.The arbiter suggests sharply to Tandro that he should go and reexamine his extradition request, and adjourns the hearing. In the _nal scene, Jadzia Dax and Enina Tandro are walking along the second _oor of the promenade, talking. Enina is touched by Jadzias kindness in trying to protect her, since it was Curzon Dax who swore himself to silence about the events on Klaestron Four, not Jadzia. Jadzia, however, says she felt it was important to keep the promise, since the Generals memory was so cherished by his people.Enina states that no one will ever know that the General attempted to betray his own side and was killed by the rebels for his efforts.Enina then asks Jadzia for one favorthat she should live out a full and joyous lifeand touches Jadzias face gently. Jadzia cups her hand to her cheek, and watches as the widow walks off.

tc "The Passenger"The PassengerEpisode Number: 409Air Date: 2/20/93

As the show opens, Major Kira and Dr. Bashir are returning from an unspeci_ed location in the Runabout Rio Grande. Some sort of medical emergency had occurred during the trip, and Bashir had saved the life of a woman Kira had thought to be beyond saving. Kira rather grudgingly compliments the doctor on his work; Bashir, never one for false modesty, also compliments himself copiously, which annoys Kira. Just as she is about to tell him in no uncertain terms what she thinks of his attitude, the Runabout receives a distress signal from a nearby ship in serious trouble.The two of_cers beam aboard the endangered ship, _nding the interior in _ames and the ships oxygen supply being rapidly consumed by the blaze. Only about ten minutes worth of air still remains.Kira heads off to try check out the ship while Bashir looks for the ships inhabitants. He _nds an unconscious woman on the _oor in a nearby corridor and revives her, asking her if there is anyone else aboard the ship in need of evacuating. As she coughs and tells him that the pilot is dead, Bashir scans the ship and locates another life reading coming from the room just off the corridor in which he is standing. The woman tells him he must not break the seals on the door and enter, as the _re on the ship was started deliberately by the prisoner contained therein in order to enable him to escape. Bashir, however, can tell from his tricorder that the person in the room is dying; he pulls the manual override, and enters, over the womans loud protests. Bashir makes his way through the _ames to the side of the injured man within, as the woman pulls herself up and follows him, still protesting. The doctor announces that the man is in no condition to pose a threat to anyone, and begins to tend to him as Kira enters with a _re extinguisher and goes to work on putting out the blaze.Bashir tells her that the man is in very bad shape and needs to be beamed aboard the Runabout immediately, and Kira begins to tell the Rio Grandes computer to transport the four of them out. Before she can _nish, however, the injured man revives and promptly reaches out to seize Bashir by the throat in a crushing grip. As Kira begins to struggle with the man, trying to free the strangling doctor, the man on the _oor pulls Bashir close and gasps, Make_me_live!. He then collapses, releasing Bashir. Bashir scans the man and announces that he is dead: This one I cant bring back.Back on the station, in the in_rmary, Bashir is tending to the woman they found on the ship. She awakens, and Bashir introduces himself and tells her shes on the station DS9. She tells him her name is Ty Kajada, of Kobliad Security, and then says, DS9? Thats where *he* was going. Where is he? Bashir correctly deduces that she is asking about the prisoner she was transporting, and tells her that the man, whom she refers to as Vantika, is dead. She demands to see the body, and in spite of Bashirs protestations about her condition, gets him to let her view the corpse. In spite of the mans obviously deceased state, Kajada seems convinced that Vantika is still, somehow, alive, and questions Bashir closely about what steps he has taken to ascertain that the criminal is in fact dead. She passionately tells Bashir what an evil man Vantika was, and speaks of atrocities he committed on their homeworld in his attempts to prolong his own life; this is why Kajada has been relentlessly been pursuing him for nearly twenty years. Bashir assures her that, regardless of that, the man is now *dead*, at which point Kajada picks up a large knife and viciously stabs the corpse, to Bashirs dismay. Kajada requests a DNA scan of the corpse to make sure that it is, in fact, Vantikas corpse, and also asks that her ship be scanned for any biological anomalies. It has become clear that she is completely obsessed with the fate of Vantika.Down in Quarks, Quark gets Lt. Dax a drink, and makes an unsubtle pass at her, which she ignores. Quark tells Odo that he thinks Dax is infatuated with Quark himself, to which Odo replies, Youre deluding yourself. Quark responds, Theres nothing wrong with a good delusion; I sell them upstairs to dozens of people every day. Odo and Quark discuss, in their usual adversarial fashion, Daxs apparent af_nity for being a loner; Odo comments that he understands her desire for privacy perfectly and respects it, and thinks others should do likewise. Quark replies that Odo just thinks everyone should be as lonely and miserable as Odo himself is. The conversation shifts slightly, over to the topic of wanting things one cant have, and Odo tells Quark that one such thing that Quark cant have is the shipment of deuridium that is being brought to the station from Gamma Quadrant. At the mention of deuridium, a man in a gold Star_eet-DS9 uniform who is sitting nearby looks up and begins to pay attention to the conversation. Quark professes ignorance of any shipment of deuridium, then heads over to where Dax is sitting to engage her in conversation. The eavesdropper in the Star_eet uniform approaches Odo, and rather curtly tells Odo that he does not approve of Odos style of security, which includes telling the head of the local black market about a con_dential shipment of deuridium. Odo is affronted by the mans criticism and expresses his displeasure in no uncertain terms, at which point the man identi_es himself as Lt. George Primmin of Star_eet Security. Primmin wants to discuss the security arrangements for the deuridium shipment; Odo isnt interested in having the Star_eet mans input. They exchange terse words, and Odo reluctantly agrees to meet with Primmin in his of_ce, later in the day. Back in Ops, a staff conference is underway. Bashir reports that he has found nothing unusual in his autopsy of Vantika, and does not think that he managed to cheat death this time, in spite of Kajadas suspicions. It seems apparent that Vantikas interest in DS9 centered around the incoming deuridium shipment, which is needed on Kobliad; the Kobliad race requires it in order to live out their full lifespan, but it is in very short supply, and there is not enough to go around. The Federation has been trying to assist the Kobliad by shipping in deuridium from the Gamma Quadrant, but even with the extra shipments there still isnt enough deuridium, and a thriving underground trade in the substance has sprung up. Vantikas plan was almost certainly to hijack the deuridium shipment. Kajada and her obsession with the criminal are discussed, and Sisko decides that he sees no reason not to comply with her requests as long as they do not become excessive. He orders Dax to scan Kajadas ship as Kajada requested. Siskos primary concern, however, is not (the very likely dead) Vantika himself, but rather any accomplices he might have had working with him on the station.Lt. Primmin arrives at Ops and he and Sisko go off to confer.Kira offers to call Odo and have him join their conference, but Primmin rather pointedly declines, saying he sees no need to have Odo there. Kira is taken aback, but refrains from calling Odo. Primmin and Sisko discuss the current security situation; Primmin is not at all impressed with Odos idea of security and tells Sisko so. Sisko defends Odos approach as appropriate given the stations social environment, and tells Primmin that the two of them, as Star_eet of_cers, are *guests* of the Bajoran government on the station, and that it is impolite of them to throw their Star_eet expertise in the faces of the Bajorans. He suggests that Primmin could possibly learn something from Odos approach, and informs the lieutenant that he expects Primmin and Odo to work together to deal with the matter of the potential Kobliad plot to hijack the deuridium.He also suggests that Primmin and Odo might work with Ty Kajada on this matter. Primmin goes to meet Odo and extends a fairly gracious apology to the constable, which Odo accepts, although the lieutenants manner still retains a slight air of condescension. The two of them attempt to go over Odos security arrangements for the deuridium shipment, but Odo is unable to call them up on his console; the computer cant seem to summon the _les. Odo calls Ops and _nds out from Kira that the entire active memory of the station has been accessed and _ushed. Kajada arrives at Odos of_ce at this point and states that this sort of trick is exactly Vantikas style. Another conference takes place in Ops, on the subject of Vantika, this time with Kajada present. Kajada is insistent that she has insights into the criminals mind gained from pursuing him for twenty years that no one else can possibly have, and she very _rmly believes that Vantika is still alive, and on the station, and actively working to further his plans. Primmin is puzzled by Vantikas computer sabotage, until Odo points out that by breaking into the system as a whole rather than speci_cally trying to access the _les on the deuridium shipment, Vantika could avoid all the special security lockouts Odo had placed directly around the key _les. Dax asks Kajada how Vantika would have gone about gaining access to the system, and is told that he tends to use a device known as subspace shunt to obtain access through some normally unsecured station system. Dax checks her console and locates just such an unauthorized tap on a temperature control panel. Both Primmin and Odo try to simultaneously summon security, and break off to stare resentfully at each other. There is a tense moment, then Odo completes the order while giving Primmin a baleful look. Kajada warns them to have their security people be careful as the shunt device is probably booby-trapped. Sisko becomes impatient with Kajadas obsession, and Kajada becomes angered by what she sees as his patronizing attitude toward her. Sisko believes that what Kajada interprets as Vantikas actions can be more easily explained by the activities of one or more accomplices of Vantikas on the station. Kajada, naturally, is unconvinced; she restates her conviction that Vantika is completely obsessed with prolonging his own life, and recites a litany of the atrocities that Vantika has committed in pursuit of his goal. He would not have started the _re on her ship if he did not have some plan for surviving it. She does not know what his plan might have been, but she is sure that somehow, it succeeded. Sisko enquires about the DNA scan which was done to identify Vantika, and is told that the con_rmation from Kobliad wont be in for another twelve hours. He then states that until that time, the staff should operate under the assumption that Vantika is in fact alive and active on the station somewhere. Kajada appears relieved. Odo then requests a private word with Sisko.

Odo and Sisko have a very tense face-to-face meeting, wherein Odo threatens to resign his position on the station unless Sisko assures him that his jurisdiction will remain supreme in security matters, whether there is Star_eet Security involvement or not.Sisko soft-soaps Odo, telling him how much he likes Odo for his straightforward manner, and how much he needs him on the station to do the job that no one else could do nearly so well as he can. He promises Odo that Odo will have the _nal word in any on-station security matters, and states that he wants Odo and Primmin to _nd a way to work together successfully. Odo snaps that Sisko should tell Primmin that, and Sisko says that he already has. Odo seems satis_ed.Sisko goes to see how Daxs investigation into the matter of Vantika is going. She reports that she didnt _nd any biological anomalies on Kajadas ship, but that she did _nd that during the time the ship has been docked at DS9, someone had attempted to break into the ships cargo hold. Sisko wants to know what the thief or thieves might have been after, and Dax presents him with a computer chip that she found in Vantikas personal belongings. The chip contains information on humanoid brain structure. Down in Quarks place, Quark and his assistants are cleaning up after closing. Quark berates his assistants for their carelessness and then shoos them out of the restaurant. Not more than a few moments later, he is seized from behind by a gloved attacker and placed in an effective headlock. In a menacing whisper, the unseen attacker asks Quark why he hasnt made the agreed-upon preparations, such as the hiring of mercenaries; Quark replies that he had in fact done so, but that when he heard that the individual for whom he had agreed to make the arrangements had been killed, he had not thought it would be necessary to proceed. Quark says, I was told you were dead. The mysterious _gure whispers back, Almost_but not quite. Quark is released with a shove, and before he turns around his attacker is gone. Down in the in_rmary, Kajada enters, saying that Bashir asked to see her. Bashir tells her that the results from the DNA scan on Vantika have come in; he attempted to call her the night before to let her know, but she didnt answer. Kajada appears taken aback, and comments that she has been having trouble sleeping and has been using an alpha-wave inducer to help her rest; his comment that she should be careful of such things is cut off by her demand to know what his results are. Bashir tells her that Vantikas body was positively identi_ed as his, and not an impostor or a clone. He says that every conceivable test has been done to con_rm Vantikas death, but Kajada still does not seem convinced.A call from Dax comes in, asking Bashir to come to her lab to confer with her. He heads down there, where Dax is examining the computer chip she got from Kajadas ship. Dax suggests to Bashir that perhaps what has happened to Vantika is that his body died while his consciousness lived on. Bashir is incredulous, stating that while he has seen synaptic pattern displacement done by Vulcans, hes never seen it done by anyone else. Dax is convinced that Vantika was working on something similar; the computer chip contains over seventy computer simulations on methods to potentially save neuronal patterns in the unused portions of another humanoid brain. Bashir concedes that it is theoretically possible that Vantikas mind could be inhabiting someone elses brain, and suggests a likely candidateTy Kajada. Dax concurs, as both are Kobliad and it would be a strategically sound move for Vantika to hide within the mind of his most determined enemy. Dax and Bashir present their theory to Sisko, Odo, and Primmin in Siskos of_ce. Sisko is dubious, commenting that Kajada has done everything possible to convince the staff that Vantika is alive, which would not be a reasonable action for her to take if she were, in fact, Vantika. Dax and Bashir respond that it may not be as simple as that, as Kajada could be completely unaware that she harbors Vantikas consciousness within her own. Sisko asks if a medical exam of Kajada would prove anything, but Dax and Bashir are not convinced that they can _nd anything when they have no real idea what to look for yet.In particular, they have no idea what the method of transfer of this process might be. Odo wants to set personnel to following Kajada around, just in case; Primmin objects that they are short-handed enough as it is, and should simply let the computer do the tracking. But Odo and Primmin both agree that Kajada should be left out of their security conferences from that point on. Kajada realizes very quickly that she is being excluded, and goes to confront Odo about the change in her status. She asks Odo whats being done about Quark. Odo asks why, exactly, does she think something should be done about Quark? She replies that Quark is exactly the sort of person that Vantika would be working with if he were here, and leaves angrily.That night in Quarks, after closing hours, Quark is discussing the matter of the deuridium shipment with the mercenary help he has hired for the job. As they talk about the identity of their mysterious employer and the question of their payment, Ty Kajada skulks around on the second level of Quarks, attempting to eavesdrop on the conversation. The attention of Quark and his companions is drawn by a loud cry from above; they look up to see Kajada hanging from the balcony rail by one hand. As they watch, she falls, lands hard, and lies still.In the in_rmary afterward, Bashir is tending to Kajada, who was badly hurt by the fall. She regains consciousness only long enough to mutter, _Pushed_Vantika_. Sisko asks Quark if he saw anything; he replies that he was alone in the restaurant at the time and saw nothing. Quark questions Kajadas reasons for being on the balcony in the _rst place; Odo says, She had an odd feeling you were helping someone to hijack the deuridium shipment. Replies Quark, I resent that inference. Snaps Odo: Its not an inference, its a de_nite suspicion. Sisko asks Bashir if he thinks Kajada was suicidal, and Bashir is doubtful, but comments that he doesnt really know what the effects of having someone else in your brain might be.Sisko asks if Bashir has found a way to con_rm that hypothesis yet, and Bashir says he hasnt, and he cant start doing brainscans on Kajada until her condition has improved. And besides, they still havent _gured out the transfer method.Sisko goes to check in with Dax, who is in the morgue, checking under the corpses _ngernails. She makes oblique comments about bioelectric _elds being induced in glial cells, and tells Sisko that she has an hypothesis about how the neural pattern transfer might have been accomplished. The method would require that the transfer medium get under the targets skin, however, and since there were no hyposprays or needles anywhere on Kajadas ship, she thinks it possible that Vantika might have used his _ngernails to do it. Upon examining the residue she obtained from the corpse, she discovers a microscopic generator, and concludes that she has found the means by which Vantika might have transferred his mind to someone elses brain.She suggests that he encoded his neural patterns in glial cells and placed the generator device under his _ngernails months ago, as a last-ditch attempt to escape death if he should ever need to use it. Dax concludes by saying that a glial scan should be suf_cient to determine if there has been any tampering with the hypothetical victim. Kira and Odo are putting the _nal touches on the security preparations for the deuridium freighter. They realize that they havent seen Lt. Primmin all morning, and Odo goes to look for him. Quark and his three hired thugs are walking down a corridor discussing their plans to take the freighter. Quark, who is only a middleman, will not be going along. One of the mercenaries asks how Quark managed to get a Runabout, and Quark tells them that that was the doing of their employer, not him. This mysterious employer will be meeting them at the Runabout. When they reach the ship, Quark enters, but is taken aback to discover Dr. Bashir inside. Quark begins to stammer apologies and excuses for his presence, but Bashir, who for some reason is not wearing his comm badge, merely stares at him levelly for a moment and comments, Not at all, gentlemen. Ive been expecting you.Back in the in_rmary, Dax goes looking for Bashir to tell him what shes learned, but he is nowhere to be found. She asks the computer to locate him; the computer says hes in the in_rmary.Puzzled, she looks around, and discovers Bashirs discarded comm badge.Odo locates Lt. Primmin in some place other than the location to which he was assigned, and enquires sternly where Primmin has been and what he has been doing. Primmin tells Odo that he decided to take his cue from Odos earlier logic about Vantikas actions, and decided to look for threats to security in general rather than speci_c threats to the incoming freighter. By so doing, he located another subspace shunt device attached to the backup security on the waste reclamation system which was designed, when triggered, to feed back to the stations primary security systems and completely derail them. Odo comments that had the device been used, it would have shut down the entire security grid for nearly an hourplenty of time for Vantika to take over the freighter and _y it away from the station at warp speed. The wormhole opens, and the freighter comes through. Up in Ops, security is being prepared for the ships arrival, when Kira notices that a Runabout is approaching the freighter, without authorization. Just then, Dax enters Ops and tells Sisko that she found Bashirs comm badge abandoned in the in_rmary but that Bashir himself is nowhere to be found. Sisko asks the computer who authorized the access to the Rio Grande and _nds out that it was Bashir. The Runabout docks with the freighter, and the three mercenaries beam aboard. They violently and ef_ciently deal with the freighters bridge crew, then signal back to the Runabout that the bridge has been cleared. Bashirwho is now in truth Vantikabeams over, and orders the shields up and the ship secured, and says that if any of the crew resist, they are to be killed. As they are preparing to leave the system, the ship shudders, and the mercenary at the helm reports that the station has grabbed the ship with a tractor beam. Vantika expresses disbelief, commenting that the stations systems should be completely disabled by this time. He orders the impulse engines engaged; the mercenary doesnt see the point of that, but is told that it will keep the ship from being towed back to the station. Sisko hails the freighter from the station, and Bashir answers, introducing himself as Rao Vantika, to Siskos dismay. Sisko asks what has become of Bashir and Vantika says that hes unconscious for the moment, but that Vantika might consider releasing him if Sisko released the tractor beam. Sisko refuses. Vantika threatens to take the ship to warp, which Sisko points out will simply tear the ship apart and kill everyone on board. Vantika replies that that includes Julian Bashir, and gives Sisko one minute to make a decision.Sisko asks if they can lock onto Bashir and beam him out, but Primmin says the freighters shields are up, so that wont work. Kira suggests an attack on the freighter itself, but Sisko vetoes that on the grounds that if the freighter is destroyed it will spread deuridium all over the system and force the evacuation of all the population in the area. Sisko asks Dax if there is any way to disrupt Vantikas hold over Bashir and let Julian take control back from Vantika; Dax says she might be able to design an electromagnetic pulse that would disrupt Vantikas neural patterns and give Julian a chance to emerge, but she doesnt know how to get it to the ship. Sisko suggests using the tractor beam as a carrier wave, which Dax thinks will work, but she needs time to _gure out how exactly to do it.Sisko says hell try and stall. Vantika hails the station, asking for Siskos decision. Sisko asks what guarantee he has that Vantika will release Bashir if Sisko does as Vantika asks. Vantika is not fooled by Siskos attempts to stall and accuses Sisko of insulting his intelligence by engaging him in conversation while they try to come up with a rescue plan. He tells his pilot to prepare to go to warp. Sisko says that he doesnt believe Vantika will actually do it, as Vantika has spent too much time and effort in trying to cheat death to commit suicide now. Vantika admits that that is true, but adds that he doesnt think Sisko is willing to risk having deuridium spread all over the system, either. Sisko looks at Dax, who shakes her head frantically. Vantika once more orders the warp engines engaged. The mercenary helmsman refuses, and Vantika promptly kills him, then tells Sisko his time is up. Sisko looks at Dax again; she nods. Sisko tells Vantika that they are getting ready to release the tractor beam, and Dax activates her electromagnetic pulse. The pulse strikes the ship, causing a _reworks display outside. Inside, Bashir/Vantika clutches his head in agony. Sisko hails the ship, telling Bashir to lower the shields; Bashir, apparently Julian again now, slumps in his chair in absolute confusion, and asks Sisko where he is and whats going on. Again, Sisko urgently tells him to lower the shields. Bashir reaches to do so, but just before reaching it, grimaces and pulls back. There is a brief struggle for control between Julian and Vantika, which ends as Bashir hits the switch to lower the shields and Sisko instantly has him beamed out of the freighter.Bashir materializes in Ops, and Sisko draws his phaser and points it at the doctor. Bashir starts to say that he himself again, but before he can _nish, he is taken by another struggle for control.Sisko stuns him, and he collapses.In the in_rmary, Dax has come up with a plan to free Julian from Vantikas control by utilizing the transporter to screen out Vantikas glial cells from Julians own. They try it, beaming the foreign cells into a disc-shaped containment device, and Dax checks Bashir and declares that he is clear of Vantikas in_uence. She revives him and he complains of having a terrible headache.Sometime later, Bashir, Dax, Sisko, and Kajada are in the in_rmary discussing events. Kajada apologizes to Bashir for the trouble; looking downcast, he replies that they should have listened to her from the start. She tries to reassure him that hes not responsible for what Vantika did while he was in control, but Bashir doesnt remember what happened, although he does feel humiliated by the whole thing. Sisko reaf_rms that the mess wasnt Bashirs fault, and hes not being blamed for it. Kajada requests that she be given custody of the remains of the prisoner, and Sisko agrees.Kajada immediately pulls out her weapon and vaporizes the containment device.

Sisko is in his quarters, trying on his Star_eet dress uniform. Jake comes in, and he and his father have a conversation about various things. During the course of the chat, Jake comments that he has been learning about girls from Nog; Sisko _nds this alarming and promptly schedules a long talk with his son about girls for the following morning, over Jakes reluctance. Jake asks why Sisko is wearing his dress uniform, and is told that Sisko is preparing for a _rst-contact meeting with a new race from Gamma Quadrant, the Wadi.A call comes in from Kira in Ops, stating that the Wadi ship has just arrived, and Sisko heads down to the docks to rendezvous with the rest of his senior staff and meet the Wadi delegation.Down at the docking bay, Kira, Dax and Bashir are awaiting Siskos arrival, with Dax in Star_eet dress uniform. Bashir is in his regular out_t, and is fretting about how he has managed to somehow misplace his own dress uniform. Dax and Kira try to reassure him, but Sisko arrives at that point and immediately gives the dismayed doctor a stern lecture on his improper attire. The Wadi delegation enters the station. Their leader introduces himself as Falow, and Sisko reciprocates with introductions of himself and his senior staff. His attempt at proper protocol is defeated, however, for Falow and his people are interested in only one thing: the games that they have been told are available at Quarks. They wish to proceed immediately to the playing area; Sisko is put off stride by this, but has Kira escort the Wadi where they wish to go. He comments to Dax: First contact is not what it used to be.Down at Quarks, the Wadi are having a good time with the Dabo game, while Sisko and the rest of the senior staff sit around trying to _gure out how to interact with the single-minded aliens. Quark is only interested in their visitors potential cash supply, and he and Sisko and Dax exchange words about their differing views on proper _rst-contact procedure. Quark heads over to the Dabo table and, after _rst sounding out Falow about the possibility of his opening a Dabo franchise in the Gamma Quadrant, attempts to establish some sort of common currency with the Wadi. He is offered several items the Wadi consider valuable, but is unimpressed with their goods until a bag of valuable gemstones is produced, at which point Quark becomes more than willing to let them continue to gamble.Many hours later, the Wadi are continuing to happily play at Dabo, to Quarks displeasure, for they have been steadily winning all night. Sisko is tired and disgruntled that he has been unable to get the Wadi to interact with him in any sort of of_cial capacity since they arrived on the station, as the only thing they seem to be interested in is playing Dabo. The commander decides to turn in for the night, leaving Quark with orders to keep the Wadi happy and notify him immediately if they show any sign of wanting to do anything but play games. As soon as Sisko has left, Quark tries to get the Wadi to leave by saying the Dabo girl is tired; undeterred, Falow suggests that she be replaced. Quark calls in a Ferengi assistant to man the wheel, and gives him a covert signal, at which the assistants hand slips under the Dabo table in a suspicious fashion. Falows next play loses, and the Wadi leader is displeased; he levels a thoughtful stare at Quark.Sisko returns to his quarters to _nd Jake still up; they have another chat about Jakes association with Nog and the bad habits this seems to be instilling in Jake. Sisko orders his son to bed, stating again that theyll talk about this in the morning.Back down at Quarks, Falow loses another Dabo throw, but catches Quarks assistant in the act of rigging the table. Quark reacts to this discovery with shock and surprise, and berates his assistant for cheating, but Falow and his people are not fooled by Quarks protestations. They close in on Quark, surrounding him in a menacing semi-circle. Quark starts to bluster, offering the Wadi several different enticements in an attempt to appease them, but the Wadi are unimpressed. Falow states that he will give Quark a chance to win many more of their gemstones, in an *honest* game; he opens a small box, and a large pyrimidal playing board materializes in a _ash of light. Falow begins to set up playing pieces, telling Quark that the game is called Chula, and that his tokens will start at the second Shap.In Siskos quarters, Sisko is sleeping peacefully. He rolls overand awakens to discover that he is no longer in his room.Instead, he is lying on a bare _oor covered with triangular designs. He is in uniform, and has a tricorder. Sisko stares around in befuddlement. There are many triangular doors leading out of the room, with strange symbols on them, but they are all closed. He _rst tries calling Ops and Security on his comm badge, but gets no answer. He then orders the computer to End Program and Exit, but neither occurs. He starts trying the doors, and eventually _nds one that opens, but it leads only to a bare corridor with more doors. Again, he starts trying them one by one, and on the third try _nds one that opens to reveal Falow standing on the other side, laughing. Falow says, Shap Two! Move along! Move along home!. Sisko demands an explanation, but Falow repeats Move along home! and the door slides shut between them. As Sisko begins once more to explore the corridor, he hears the sound of someone yelling coming from down the hall, and begins to run in that direction. He _nds Dr. Bashir _at up against a wall with his eyes closed, yelling for no apparent reason. Sisko speaks to Bashir, startling him into opening his eyes; Bashir is astonished and relieved to see Sisko, and explains that he thought he was having a nightmare he couldnt manage to wake up from. Kira and Dax come running up, drawn by the sound of Bashirs howling. Sisko explains that he thinks that they have somehow been made guests of the Wadi, and tells them of his encounter with Falow. Bashir suggests that perhaps its some sort of psychological experiment, with the four of them acting as laboratory rats; Kira _nds this suggestion upsetting.Dax points out that there doesnt seem to be any immediate threat, but Kira is not reassured, and comments _ercely that while the Star_eet people might be used to dealing with this sort of situation, shes only a Bajoran administrator and did not sign up for this. Since their comm badges appear to be working between the four of them, if not to the rest of the station, Sisko decides that its safe enough for the four of them to split up in order to search for a way out. Each of the of_cers has a tricorder with them, which they will use to assist in the search. Sisko then comments to Bashir that if he gets lost, he can just start yelling again.Meanwhile, back on the station, Jake comes to see Odo to try to _nd out where Sisko is; after making a big deal over meeting with his son in the morning, Sisko has missed their appointment, and is in fact not even on the station. Odo _nds this puzzling, and after Jake leaves, the constable discovers that the computer has no record of Sisko either logging out of the station or boarding any ship. Odo heads up to Ops and is greeted by Lt. Primmin, who tells him that neither Kira nor any of the other senior staff has reported in yet. Odo is irritated by Primmins failure to recognize this as odd, although Primmin has attributed it to the late hours that the Wadi party kept the previous night. Odo tells Primmin that Sisko has disappeared off the station completely, and orders him to sweep the station for the other three senior staff to see if they are also missing.In Quarks, Falow announces that the board is ready and requests Quarks initial wager. Quark is confused, as he has not been told anything about the game at all, including the rules. Falow offers no explanation, but instead hands Quark a set of dice-like objects and orders him to roll. Quark throws the dice and Falow says that the result indicates that his pieces will meet the Chandra. Quark asks if this is good or bad and is told Neither. Or both. All of Quarks further questions meet with similar cryptic, uninformative replies from Falow. Falow seats himself at the gameboards control panel and taps the display. Sisko is exploring a corridor in his inexplicable surroundings when he hears a child chanting in a sing-song voice. He summons the rest of the staff, and they open a door to _nd a small Wadi girl playing a form of alien hopscotch while intoning, Almiray, count to three. Almiray, then four more. Almiray, if you can see, Almiray, youll follow me. The four of_cers step into the room and the door closes behind them, trapping them. They attempt to talk to the girl, but she does not react to their presence at all. Kira, losing patience, attempts to stride across the room to the far door but slams into a force_eld which throws her back, painfully, into Siskos arms. The girl, however, can apparently pass through the _eld without dif_culty. Bashir notices that there is a de_nite pattern to the girls jumping game; she is stepping on only certain _oor panels, in a particular sequence. Believing that he has solved the puzzle, he follows the girl as she jumps, but, like Kira, is bounced back by the force_eld. Dax points out that while he followed the girls steps, he failed to truly copy her actionshe did not say the rhyme. Dax then goes and follows the child, copying her every move and word, and succeeds in passing safely through the barrier. The other staffmembers do likewise, and all pass through. The door on the other side of the room opens; after the group exits, the girl states Almiray. Third Shap!, and the door closes.Back in Quarks, Falow hands Quark a handful of gems. Falow then tells Quark to Choose their path; short or long. Quark asks what the difference is, and is told Short pathdouble their peril. Double your winnings. Quark seems prepared to go for the double, but Falow points out that if none of his pieces make it home, he loses.Quark decides he likes this game, and attempts to engage Falow in a business discussion for the licensing of it in the Alpha Quadrant, but is interrupted by Odo striding angrily into the room. Odo attempts to question Quark about the last time he saw Sisko, but Falow again says to Quark, Choose their path!. Quark tries to get Odo to leave, but Odo tells him that Sisko and three other of_cers have disappeared from the station without explanation.Quark protests that he has no idea where they wentbut stops in midsentence as his eyes fall on his four playing pieces. As he stares at the tokens, aghast, Falow repeats, Double their peril. Double your winnings. Quark looks again at the pieces, then at Odo; Odo follows Quarks gaze to the tokens, and horri_ed realization dawns. Falow repeats, Choose their path, and Quark, no longer enjoying himself, chooses the safer route for the four of_cers, and is given the dice for another roll.Back in the gamespace, the crew are continuing their explorations, and discussing the purpose behind the activities they have been forced to participate in. They come to the conclusion that given the Wadis preoccupation with games, they have somehow become part of one. They pass through an open doorway, which closes behind them as a second door opens in front, revealing a room full of Wadi having some sort of party. They try to speak to the Wadi, but get only laughter in reply. As Kira angrily shouts at the mocking Wadi, an air vent, unnoticed, starts to pour a smoky gas into the room.Bashir helps himself to a glass of something off of one of the waiters trays, but Sisko stops him, saying it might be drugged or poisoned. Just then, the gas reaches the crew, who start to cough and choke helplessly. Falow enters the room by a side door, laughing, with a glass in his hand, and it becomes apparent that none of the party-goers are being affected by the gas. Sisko, choking, crosses the room to confront Falow, but Falow once again says only, Move along home! as Sisko is driven to his knees by the gas. As the other three of_cers, coughing and gagging, also start to collapse, Bashir grabs a glass from one of the Wadi and takes a gulp from it, then discovers that he can breathe again. He passes the glass to Kira and Dax, urging them to drink, and Sisko also grabs a glass and downs the contents. Kira asks Bashir, How did you know?, and he replies, Scienti_c method, but then admits, It was a guess. I didnt think I had much to lose. Falow salutes Sisko in the Wadi manner, and says, Shap four! and a door opens. The room in which the crew are standing becomes a empty gamespace. They pass through the open door, which closes behind them. In Quarks, Falow picks up the four playing pieces and moves them to the next level down on the playing board. Odo, watching, looks extremely unhappy, and leaves. Up in Ops, Odo and Primmin attempt to scan the Wadi ship to see if their missing of_cers are there, but have dif_culty scanning through the unknown Wadi technology. Primmin _nds an unusual energy emission coming from one part of the ship, something that looks a little like a transporter signal. Odo decides to go and check it out, but Primmin objects that they cant simply invade the Wadi ship without permission. Odo rather snottily asks if thats Star_eet policy, and when Primmin af_rms that it is, states that hes not Star_eet, and orders Primmin to beam him to the Wadi ship. Primmin reluctantly does so. On the ship, Odo locates the source of the energy emission behind a door. He opens it, and recoils from the bright light beaming out through the portal, then gathers himself and plunges throughonly to _nd himself back in Quarks. Falow smiles at Odo, then tells Quark, Choose their path. Odo interrupts, declaring the game _nished, but Falow says that the game is stopped, the players will be lost. Falow again exhorts Quark, Choose their path. Double their peril, double your winnings, and once again Quark chooses the safer path, and is given the dice to roll. He blows on them, and throws.Falow examines the result with a somber expression, and says, An unfortunate roll. Back in the gamespace, Bashir comments that if this is a game, they need to _gure out the winning conditions. Kira chides him for not taking their situation seriously enough, but he is undisturbed by her comments. Dax and Sisko hear a strange humming noise coming from up ahead, and Daxs tricorder picks up a source of magnetic _ux heading their way. Sisko orders the crew to _nd cover, but there is little to be had; they _atten themselves up against the walls of the corridor as a glowing, _oating, triangular geometrical construct appears in the corridor, trapping them. In Quarks, Falow reaches for one of the four pieces. In the gamespace, the construct begins to spin and its glow intensi_es. The light from the construct passes over Kira, then Sisko, then Bashir, then Daxand then returns to Bashir, who stares at it in alarm.In Quarks, Falow selects a blue, double-pronged token and removes it from the playing board. In the gamespace, the construct _ashes forward and envelopes Bashir, who vanishes in a _ash of light. Sisko furiously yells Falows name, but gets no reply.Falow sets the blue piece down on another part of the playing board, and tips it over, a grim expression on his face, and declares, Next move. Odo anxiously asks what happened to the piece Falow removed, and demands to have it returned to the playing board. Falow says that it might be arranged, if Odo wants to play the game when Quark is _nished. Falow then again turns to Quark, and repeats as before: Choose their path. Double their peril, double your winnings. Quark states that he intends to take the shortcut this time, to Odos alarm. Quark insists that he has a gamblers understanding of the odds, and that this is the right move to make at this time, because if they succeed theyll make it all the way home in just one move. Quark takes the dice, and asks Odo to blow on them for him, which, after hesitating, Odo does. Quark throws the dice. Falow stares at the result, and states that one piece must be sacri_ced so that two may live.Odo protests loudly, but Falow says that if Quark refuses to sacri_ce one, all three will be lost. Quark complains that he doesnt even know which piece is which, but Falow refuses to help him, repeating his demand that one be selected. Quark steels himself, and reaches for each of the pieces in turn, but draws back each time. His nerve breaks, and he cringes before Falow, groveling and pleading with Falow to withdraw his command. He apologizes profusely for cheating Falow and promises hell never, ever cheat anyone again if Falow will not force him to choose a piece to sacri_ce. Odos expression hardens as he realizes that the whole situation is Quarks fault. Quark falls to his knees, and crawls under the table.Falow, a disgusted look on his face, relieves Quark of the duty of choosing one of the piecesstating that instead, the game will select one randomly. He states, Last move, and reseats himself at the games controls.In the gamespace, the remaining three of_cers are exploring again, when they hear Bashirs voice calling to them, saying hes found the way out. They begin to search for him, and Dax _nds an open door leading to a rocky area. She steps inside, calling Julians name, and starts to clamber over a pile of boulders as Kira and Sisko arrive at the doorway. A sudden tremor strikes, and Dax stumbles, her leg becoming caught in a crevice between the stones. Kira and Sisko advance to try and help her as Bashirs voice continues to call them toward the brightly glowing exit door. Sisko looks up at the shadowed _gure in the doorway and calls to Bashir to come help them with the injured Dax, but there is no reply; he advances toward the door and sees that the shape is not Bashir, but Falow. Move along home!, says Falow, and vanishes. As he vanishes, the rocky cavern starts to shake in earnest.Kira announces that they are sitting directly on top of a fault line and need to move right away. Kira and Sisko each take one of Daxs arms and they help her along as the tremors continue, growing more severe each time. The path narrows to a ledge above a cliff, and they proceed awkwardly along it, helping Dax, until they come to a seemingly bottomless chasm separating them from the exit. Dax tells Kira and Sisko to leave her behind; without her, they can make it across the chasm and escape. Seven lives is more than enough for a Trill, and you havent even _nished one. Sisko does not want to leave her, but Dax chides Sisko for letting sentiment get in the way of command decisions and states that if Sisko were the injured one, *she* would leave *him* behind. He says that hes glad hes not the one whos injured. Helping Dax to her feet, Sisko tells Kira to cross the chasm on her own while he and Dax look for another way around. Kira stares across the chasm at the exit for a moment, then turns to help Sisko with Dax. Sisko is angered: I gave you a direct order! Kira snaps back, So court-martial me!, to which Sisko replies, I cant.Youre not in Star_eet, and Dax interjects, If I were your superior of_cer, Id court-martial you *both*! The three of them maneuver with care along a narrow ledge alongside another bottomless pit, as more tremors occur. Without warning, a particularly violent one sends Kira over the edge, hanging on only by her hands. Sisko and Dax try to drag her up, but an even more violent quake shakes the cavern, and all three of_cers are thrown into the pit.A second later, there is a bright _ash of light in Quarks, and all four of_cers reappear, shaken but unharmed. Quark shouts, They made it! I won! and starts to gather his winnings, but Falow stops him, saying, All your players were *lost*. Kira stares at Falow, and says, Then, we were never in any real danger? Falow looks surprised, then amused, and says with a smile, It was only a *game*!, and puts his gameboard away.Sisko is not amused at all, and confronts Falow about his actions. But Odo intervenes, telling Sisko that the one he should really be angry with is Quark. Sisko turns to Quark, who begins to protest his innocence, but Odo corrects him: Thats not what you said while you were groveling. Quark: Oh, thats right. You were there for the groveling. As Quark continues to blather excuses and apologies, Falow salutes Sisko again and says to Quark, Someday, perhapsa rematch. The Wadi leave.Quark looks thoughtfully around the room, and says, This game could work here_ and heads off after Falow and his people.tc "The Nagus"The Nagus Episode Number: 411Air Date: 3/20/93

As the show opens, an unidenti_ed Ferengi enters DS9 through an airlock. He motions to someone behind him, and is followed onto the station by a tall, wrinkle-faced humanoid escorting a short, black-shrouded _gure. The mysterious stranger carries a walking stick topped with a gold Ferengi-head icon.In the Sisko quarters, Jake is scrambling around the apartment gathering his school materials and pulling on his boots, when his father comes in. Sisko has plans to take Jake down to Bajor for the Gratitude Festival, a major celebration, and then to see an attraction called the Fire Caverns, which Jake had expressed an interest in visiting. Jake is startled but pleased, until Sisko informs him that they will be leaving that afternoon and staying away three days; at that point, Jake begs off of the trip, to Siskos consternation, because Jake and Nog have made other plans for the time. Sisko is distressed that Jake would rather spend time with Nog than with Sisko himself.Down in Quarks, Quark is reprimanding his brother and assistant, Rom, for _nding a customers purse and returning it to her with the money still inside it. Furious, Quark tells Rom to polish every rail in the place: _Now, get out of my sight, before I toss you out the nearest airlock! In another part of the bar, Nog is playing around, building a rickety stack of glasses and padds. Rom enters, causing the young Ferengi to upset his construction. Rom berates Nog for his activities, and as punishment tells him to polish every rail in Quarks. The odd threesome of Ferengi, alien, and mysterious cloaked _gure that were seen entering the station arrive at Quarks, where Quark is telling Andorian jokes to his most loyal regular. The strange Ferengi announces that he is looking for Quark; when Quark identi_es himself, the Ferengi says his name is Krax, and introduces the shrouded _gure as his father, The Grand Nagus, Zek. Quark is _abbergasted, and turns to see the wrinkled alien pulling back the hood from the cloaked _gure to reveal a very aged and decrepit-looking Ferengi. Quark kisses the gold Ferengi-head icon on the old Ferengis scepter. The younger Ferengi engages Quark in conversation on his fathers behalf, telling Quark that the Nagus will discuss his reasons for coming later, but would like to use the holosuites now. Quark is concerned that the Nagus might not be able to tolerate that much stimulation, but Krax insists that the Nagus be allowed to indulge himself.Elsewhere, OBrien enters a room full of noisy and active children, and tries to get them settled down for class. OBrien is playing the substitute teacher for Keiko until she returns from Earth in two weeks, and is apparently not enjoying the duty very much. OBrien calls on Nog to hand over his homework, an essay on ethics, but Nog tells a disapproving OBrien that he doesnt have it because a bunch of Vulcans stole my padd. OBrien is dubious in the extreme, but Nog calls on Jake to verify the preposterous story. Jake, unhappy but loyal, con_rms the excuse, and OBrien permits Nog to turn in the essay the following day, though its clear hes aware that Jake is lying. Down in the bar, Quark is listening with unease to the gleeful cackling coming from the Holosuite. Rom is very impressed that the Grand Nagus is honoring them with his presence, but Quark is less than pleased by these events; hes worried that the Nagus will force him to sell his bar to him for a fraction of its value. The Nagus emerges from the Holosuite, and requests that Quark treat him to dinner.OBrien is making repairs to the station when Sisko comes up to him with yet another maintenance job that needs doing. The two begin to chat about OBriens duties as substitute teacher, and OBrien expresses concerns about Jakes association with Nog. He suggests strongly to Sisko that Nog is a bad in_uence on Jake, and that the two boys should be separated. Sisko replies that he trusts his sonand besides, if he forced Jake to choose between Nog and Sisko himself, he would probably lose. Back in Quarks, the Nagus and his entourage are dining at Quarks expense. The Nagus compliments Quark effusively on his pro_table and unscrupulous business dealings and his perspicacity in planting his bar right next to the wormhole. Krax is irate that Quark is being given credit for what was nothing more than sheer luck, but the Nagus ignores his son.The Nagus calls on Nog to act as a waiter. Nog sullenly carries a tray over to the old Ferengi, and then asks if he can leave to go do his homework. The Nagus is aghast at the thought of a Ferengi boy studying, and even more affronted when he learns its a Federation school taught by a human female. Rom instantly swears that it will never happen again, and forbids Nog to ever return to the school. As a distraught Nog leaves the room, Rom is quick to blame the situation on the meddling Federation people. The Nagus then turns the conversation to the topic of his business on the station. He wishes to use Quarks as a conference facility for an important Ferengi gathering to discuss the business opportunities presented by the Gamma Quadrant, at nine tomorrow morning. The following day, the staff in Ops notices the in_ux of Ferengi onto the station with some unease. Sisko orders Odo to keep an eye on their visitors. In the conference room, Krax harangues Quark about some errors in his preparations, and Quark brusquely orders Rom to _x the problem, once again threatening to throw his brother out an airlock.After Quark chases away his regular, the Grand Nagus enters and calls the conference to order, sending away all of the outsidersexcept for Quark, whom he speci_cally orders to stay. Up on the Promenade, Nog is sitting on the second level looking over the railing, disconsolate, when Jake _nds him and sits down next to his friend, asking him whats wrong. Nog, clearly upset, tells Jake that he wont be going to school anymore because he doesnt belong there and theres no pro_t in it. When Jake offers to try and help, Nog lashes out at the other boy and runs off, leaving an angry and hurt Jake behind.At the Ferengi conference, the Nagus expresses his feelings that the Ferengi have about exhausted their opportunities for advancement in the Alpha Quadrant; too many people have heard of them now for them to operate at maximum pro_t. The Gamma Quadrant races, however, represent a whole new arena in which to pursue Ferengi business, where the Ferengi reputation has not (yet) preceded them.The Nagus then states that he himself is too old to head up this new wave of expansion, and thus, he has selected a successorQuark. The rest of the Ferengi react with angry and incredulous shouts, and then storm from the room, leaving a stunned Quark behind with the Grand Nagus. In the Sisko quarters, Jake tells Sisko about Nogs being pulled out of school. Jake states that its not fairNog cant even read. Sisko tries to console his son by saying that he and Nog can get together after school. Jake doesnt understand why the Ferengi and the humans dont get along; Sisko tries to explain that Ferengi and humans have different, incompatible value sets. Jake fails to see why this should apply to his friendship with Nog. Sisko asks him to play baseball after school, but Jake, suddenly determined, says he has something else to do and stalks away from the table, leaving a thoughtful Sisko behind.In Quarks, the new Grand Nagus is parading with the symbols of his of_ce, enjoying his new status, when he is approached by an unctuous Ferengi named Gral. Gral warns Quark that he may be in danger from other Ferengi jealous of his position, which gives Quark pause for thought. Gral says suggestively that he can protect Quark from these people if Quark allows him his pick of the choice opportunities in the Gamma Quadrant, and his manner becomes menacing.A disturbed Quark goes to Zek, the ex-Nagus, for advice, _nding the aged Ferengi involved in a contemplation of possible vacation spots. Quark is frightened by Grals implied threats on his life, but the Nagus is not surprised; Gral may have been the _rst, he says, but he wont be the last. Again, Quark begs for help, and Zek tells him to surround himself with people who are loyal but not *too* loyal, and When in doubtthink *ruthless*. As Quark mulls over Zeks advice, he fails to notice the elderly Ferengi stiffen, and then slump in his chair. As Quark turns back, he realizes that the former Nagus has died, and wails, I didnt *do* anything!At Zeks memorial service, the gathered Ferengi are haggling over a stack of _at, round containers, each containing a chunk of something green. Quark asks Rom to be his bodyguard, because Rom is the only one Quark can trust. Rom wants to know if, now that Quark is Grand Nagus, Quark will let him take over the bar. Quark spits out his drink and begins laughing uproariously at this idea. Rom, humiliated, runs off.Odo walks in, and begins asking questions about Zeks sudden death. Krax protests that his fathers death was not an unexpected event; Zek suffered from a chronic infection of the tympanic membrane.Odo threatens to call in Dr. Bashir to do an autopsy, which causes the Ferengi a great deal of amusement. One of the Ferengi hands Odo one of the _at containers, and explains that it contains a piece of Zekwho, as a Ferengi of stature, was vacuum dessicated and is being sold in pieces. Up on the second level of the Promenade, Jake and Nog are sitting, not talking to each other. After a few moments silence, each tries to speak at the same time. They have a brief conversation about their situation, and quickly reconcile, deciding to be friends even in the face of their fathers joint disapproval. Jake gets a sudden inspiration, and heads off without explanation, calling to Nog to follow. In Quarks, Odo enquires of Quark what it means to be Grand Nagus. Quark replies that from now on, Odo should schedule appointments with Quark through Rom, and that in addition, Odo should show respect by kissing Quarks scepter. Odo, not in the least impressed, snorts in disdain and walks off. Quark spots a coin dropped by another Ferengi, and heads over to claim it, just as a small robotic device, unnoticed, _oats around the corner in his direction. At the moment Quark bends over to pick up the coin, the device homes on him and accelerates, just missing the crouching Ferengi and striking the wall beyond instead, where it disintegrates in a sizable explosion. Quark cowers under a table, shaking.Later in the bar, Sisko, OBrien and Odo examine the smoking crater in the wall. OBrien tells them that the device was a Ferengi locator bomb that was designed to lock onto Quarks body odor, then home in and kill him. Bashir enters, reporting that Quark is shaken but unhurt, and the three investigators go off to have a word with the Grand Nagus. As they exit the bar, Sisko notices Jake and Nog running off together on the Promenades second level, and is worried.Down in the in_rmary, Odo and Sisko question an uncooperative Quark about the attack. When Odo asks for possible suspects, Quark _ngers Krax, and Rom points out that Gral is also suspect for his earlier threat to Quark. But Quark points out that since both Krax and Gral were in the room at the time, neither of them could have triggered the device. Sisko suggests an associate might have be responsible, and Odo asks whether the old Nagus Hupyrian servant was present at the funeral. On being told that the servant, Maihardu, was *not*, he is suspicious, for Hupyrian servants are reknown for their loyalty to their employers. For Maihardu to miss Zeks funeral is odd, indeed. In Siskos apartment the next day, Sisko reprimands Jake for staying out past midnight the previous evening. Jake says he was out with Nog, and Sisko asks what they were doing; but Jake refuses to say, telling his father that its private, and that he has to leave for school. Sisko, angered, orders him to be home in time for dinner. Quark is entertaining petitioners in his of_cial capacity as Nagus, being attended by Krax and Rom, who are being deferential.After dealing with a petitioner, Quark heads over to check on his bar, leaving his two assistants alone in the room. Krax comments sourly, If he keeps handing out these choice opportunities, hes going to become very popular. Rom replies, Well just have to come up with a new plan_something more reliable than a locator bomb.In the Sisko quarters, Sisko is sitting alone at the dinner table, when the door chimes and Dax enters. She apologizes for her bad timing, but Sisko says hes been sitting at the table for half an hour, waiting for Jake. Sisko con_des his troubles with Jake to Dax, and she suggests that he sit Jake down and talk to him. Dax comments that although shes been a mother three times and a father twice, she wasnt very good at either, so maybe Sisko shouldnt ask her for advice, but she thinks Sisko should go get Jake and bring him home for dinner. Sisko is unsure, but then asks the computer for Jakes location, and is told hes in Cargo Bay Fourteen. Sisko heads out after his son.As Sisko enters the cargo bay, he hears the boys talking, and closes in on their position stealthily. As he peers around the corner of a crate, he discovers the secret of Jake and Nogs mysterious activity: Jake is teaching Nog to read. Ashamed of his suspicions, Sisko withdraws without a word, leaving the boys oblivious to the fact that they were being watched.In Quarks quarters, Quark, with the help of Rom and Krax, is preparing to take a trip through the wormhole. According to Krax, Zek began a business deal with a rich world in the Gamma Quadrant before his death, and it is Quarks duty to complete the negotiations. As Quark exits the room, Rom begins to make one more plea to Quark to share his riches, and Quark again rebuffs him. Odo, sitting at a table in Quarks, sees Maihardu heading out of the room, and follows him. Krax and Rom hustle Quark toward the ship, overriding his suggestion that the take a Dabo girl along on the trip to help Quark make a good impression. Maihardu goes to an airlock and enters; Odo, right behind him, _ows underneath the door and continues his stalk of the Hupyrian servant. Krax opens the airlock and Quark enters, then notices that there is no waiting ship outside. He turns around, only to see the inner door closing, trapping him inside the airlock. Quark yells at Rom and Krax to open the door, _rst in anger, then groveling in panic as he realizes what their intent is. As Quark pleads with Rom for his life, Rom says in scorn, *You* were going to shove *me* out an airlock. Krax generously offers to let Rom do the honor of pushing the airlock release button. But as Rom goes to do so, a creaky voice shouts Release him!The conspirators whirl to see Zek, the Grand Nagus, standing in the corridor with Maihardu and Odo. Odo steps forward, shoving the stunned Ferengi aside, and lets Quark out of the airlock, saying drily, Well, Quark, looks like you needed my help after all. As Krax and Quark express their astonishment at Zeks living presence, Zek tells them that he hadnt died, only entered into a sleeping trance. The Nagus had staged his own death as a test for his son, to see if Krax was ready to take his placea test that Krax has failed miserably by trying to seize power through the murder of Quark. Zek continues to berate his sons poor performance over Kraxs protesting defense of his actions. Back in Quarks, the Nagus reclaims his scepter and again compliments Quark on his business, promising to let him know of any really nice opportunities he _nds in the Gamma Quadrant, and walks off, cackling. Quark sees Rom scurrying by and shouts to him. Rom comes over and begins pleading for forgiveness, but Quark, instead of being angry, praises Roms initiative. On the Promenade, Jake and Nog are buying a treat, when Jake sees Sisko approaching. Looking guilty, Jake asks what Sisko is doing here, and Sisko says that he was looking for Jake, and gives his startled son a warm embrace. Youre a great boy, says the commander.Go on. Be with your friend. Jake runs off to rejoin Nog. tc "Vortex"Vortex Episode Number: 412Air Date: 4/17/93

As the show opens, Odo and Quark are chatting in the bar. Odo is concerned about a Miradorn raider ship that has docked at the station.Also of concern to the security chief is a new arrival, a humanoid individual rescued from a damaged shuttle in the Gamma Quadrant and brought to DS9 by a Klingon vessel. Odo thinks the man has been acting suspiciously, but Quark tells him that the man, Croden, is harmless. Odo questions Quarks knowledge of Croden, but Quark waves it off as the result of a chance conversation, nothing more, and says that Croden was unwilling to speak to the Star_eet personnel who greeted him upon arrival due to fear of them, a statement that Odo _nds disturbing. A pair of identical Miradorns enter Quarks, nodding to the Ferengi as they pass. Odo considers this suggestive, and Quark, in a great show of offense, tells Odo hes paranoid, and opines that this is the explanation for Odos failure to locate any others of his raceTheyre all in hiding! Quark departs the bar, telling Rom to bring him some refreshment. The stranger, Croden, also heads off somewhere. Rom sets four glasses on a tray, and turns to take a bottle down from the shelf; when he picks up the tray, he fails to notice that there are now _ve glasses on it. In the holosuite, Quark bargains with the two Miradorns for an artifact they wish to sell. Quark is unusually scrupulous, questioning the origins of the item; he states that a similar item was recently stolen from a ship not more than two light-years from the station. As the three of them haggle in an adversarial fashion, the door opens and Croden walks in, armed. Rather nervously, he demands the artifact be given to him, but one of the Miradorns grabs the table and heaves it at Croden, who falls. The glasses which were on the table strike the wall and shatter, and the pieces of one of them melt and coalesce and begin to form into Odo. One of the Miradorns _res at Croden and misses; Croden returns _re, striking the Miradorn squarely, and he falls.Odo grabs Croden before he can _re again, and calls for security and medical help. Quark scolds his brother for failing to notice the _fth glass. The second Miradorn discovers that his brother has been killed, and charges at Croden, only to be _attened by a single strike from Odo. Croden and the Miradorns are taken into custody as Bashir enters, scans the fallen Miradorn, and shakes his head; the Miradorn is beyond help. In the security of_ce, Sisko interviews the surviving Miradorn, who is deeply distraught over the death of his twin. Sisko is sympathetic, but Odo is not; he questions the Miradorn harshly about the origins of the artifact which was being sold. Sisko stops the security chief from badgering the Miradorn, but asks the Miradorn not the leave the station until the recent unfortunate events have been investigated. The Miradorn wants the person who killed his brother to be killed in turn, but Sisko tells him that the law will deal with Croden. Sisko then asks whether Quark and Rom should be held, andQuark points out that, as Odo can witness, he himself raised the question of the artifacts possible illegal origins. Odo agrees, but is puzzled by this, and by the fact that Crodens weapon was a Ferengi phaser. Rom valiantly springs to his brothers defense: How dare you suggest that my brother set this whole robbery up! Odo replies, What an interesting theory, Rom. Quark hustles his brother out of the security of_ce, berating him all the way. Sisko and Odo go to speak with Croden in the holding cell. Croden complains brie_y about his treatment, after which Sisko tells him that he is entitled to a trial and to a representative, either from the station or from his homeworld. Croden replies that on his homeworld they have crimesbut no trials. The prisoner apologizes for causing trouble, but says he had no choice; he then states that if he had abilities like Odos, the Changeling, he would have had other options. This gets Odos attention. In reply to Odos questions, the man says hes seen others like Odo and is surprised that they havent come through the wormhole yet. Odo doubts Crodens words, stating that Croden probably overheard him and Quark talking in the restaurant. Croden says that if Odo will feed him, he will consider telling Odo where he met another shapeshifter.There is a staff conference in Siskos of_ce to discuss the matter of the prisoner. Dax says that it shouldnt be too hard to _nd Crodens homeworld, and Sisko decides that he and Dax should try to locate it to ask what should be done with Croden. He orders increased security on Croden to protect him from the vengeful Miradorn.Down in Quarks, Odo questions Quark about his connection with Croden. Quark had been seen in heavy conversation with Croden before the _ght, and was known to have been making inquiries about the availability of a small ship to travel through the wormhole. Odo thinks the ship was meant to allow Croden to return to the Gamma Quadrant. Quark denies everything. Odos questioning becomes intense, making Quark uneasy, as the shapeshifter demands to know what Croden said to Quark about his homeworld and the other species that dwelled there. Quark professes ignorance, and Odo is called away to his of_ce by a message that the Miradorn and his companions have blockaded the security of_ce doors. At the security of_ce, the Miradorn once again demands the death of Croden in vengeance for his brothers death, and Odo orders him off the station, threatening to throw him in the brig if he leaves his ship again.In the holding cell, Odo and Croden have a tense confrontation as Odo tries to pry information from the prisoner about the Changelings. Croden dances around the questions, dropping a variety of cryptic hints, but says little of any real use. He states that there used to be Changelings on his homeworld, but that they were persecuted and driven out; however, he knows of a place in the Gamma Quadrant where a colony of that species still lives, and he offers to take Odo there. Odo is intrigued but still extremely doubtful of the truth of Crodens statements. Croden shows him a locket he carries, which, when opened, reveals a small puddle of something liquid which then brie_y shapes itself into a jagged spike, before _owing back into its original form. Croden offers the locket to a wary Odo, who, after a pause, takes it.In the Gamma Quadrant, Sisko and Dax have located Crodens homeworld and succeed in contacting an of_cial there. The of_cial is brusque and unpleasant in the extreme; he demands that Croden be returned to their planet, Rakhar, in order to be punished for crimes committed against the Rakhar people. Siskos every patient attempt at diplomacy is rudely rebuffed, and Sisko gives up, agreeing to return Croden in another Runabout within _fty-two hours.On the station, Odo brings the locket to Bashir to examine. Bashir tells him that the organism inside does in fact resemble Odos own structure to a certain extent, some sort of organo-crystalline matrixIt could be a distant cousin of yours. Odo returns to the holding cell and questions Croden about where the locket came from; Crodens replies are not terribly useful.Croden requests the locket back, and, after a signi_cant hesitation, Odo returns it to him. Croden then tells him of a nebula in the Gamma Quadrant called the Chamra Vortex, in which he found a colony of Changelings. He offers to lead Odo there.In Siskos of_ce, Sisko tells Odo that he wants the security chief to take Croden back to Rakhar. Getting past the Miradorns, however, could be a problem; they are scanning every ship for Croden, and their ships are much faster than the stations own Runabouts. And any warning the station might send to the Runabout would just provide a trail for the Miradorns to follow.Sisko has a plan to use a departing freighter as cover for the Runabouts departure, to keep the Miradorns from noticing it and attacking.Odo boards the Runabout with Croden, telling the prisoner that hes being taken back to Rakhar. The Runabout successfully uses the freighter to evade the Miradorns sensors, and passes through the wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant. Croden engages Odo in conversation, questioning his social isolation on the station, but Odo is not interested in talking. Croden then tells Odo a story about his home planet: on Rakhar, a crime is punished by the killing of the offenders family. He speaks of his own family being murdered in that way, and how he killed several Rakhar security of_cers in his attempt to save them. Odo is suspicious of this tale, which has clearly been designed to evoke sympathy, and threatens to sedate Croden if he doesnt shut up. In Quarks, the Miradorn and his followers accost Rom and Quark, threatening them with death if they dont reveal where Croden has been taken. Quark tries to bluster his way out, but is unsuccessful, and the Miradorn forces him to access the station log, which reveals the coordinates to which the Runabout carrying Odo and Croden is headed. After the Miradorn leaves, Quark tells Rom that Odo will die rather than turn Croden over to the Miradorn, a suggestion that _lls Rom with happy anticipation; Quark, however, is for some reason upset by this thought.The departure of the Miradorn ship is noticed up in Ops; the staff attempt to delay the vessel, but their efforts come to naught.On the Runabout, Croden is still trying to convince Odo to take him into the vortex, but Odo is adamant about completing his mission without interruptions. Croden tries to interest Odo in the side trip by tantalizing him with even more cryptic hints and observations about what the Changeling race is like, but is interrupted when the Runabout is rocked by a blast from the Miradorn ship, which has found them. The Miradorn demands the surrender of Croden; Odo refuses, bringing on another attack from the Miradorn ship. Odo tries to evade the attackers _re, but with little success. Croden tells Odo that if he is given the controls, he can _y them into the vortex which will hide the Runabout from the Miradorn ships sensors. Odo, left with no choice, agrees.As Croden takes the controls, he tells Odo that the vortex has dangerous pockets of a volatile gas called tohmair which can explode if disturbed. Unfortunately, the Miradorn ship follows the Runabouts impulse trail into the nebula; Croden switches to thrusters, but states that this ruse will work for only a short time. He says they have no choice but to land on the asteroid that Croden knows of, in the hope of losing the Miradorn ship. Croden says, So, Changeling, it looks like Im going to take you home after all_On the asteroid, Croden leads Odo into a natural tunnel. There is no sign of a colony or life of any sort. The prisoner is almost frantically eager to travel deeper into the cavern, arousing Odos suspicions. Odo grabs Croden and attempts to drag him back to the Runabout, over Crodens protests. Losing patience, the shapeshifter slams Croden into a wall, demanding to know how much of what he said about the Changelings was true, and, under duress, Croden admits that none of it was. On his home planet, there are myths about Changelings, but Croden considered them just stories until he saw Odo.He has no idea where the shifting locket came from; Rakhar merchants buy them from offworld traders and put them to use them as keys. Odo asks what this locket is the key to, and Croden says, To my only reason for livingin the cavern.Odo allows Croden to lead him deeper into the asteroid, where they _nd a large metal box, half buried in a rockfall. Croden rushes forward and begins frantically clearing away the rubble, calling to Odo for help. Odo asks what the box is, and is told that its a stasis chamber, which holds Crodens daughter, the only member of his family he could save. Together they free the box, and Croden takes out the shifting object, which shapes itself to _t the lock so that Croden can free his child, Yareth. Croden embraces his daughter tightly as Odo watches, and then tells Yareth that Odo is going to take her someplace safeand then looks to Odo: Wont you? Odo nods in assent. Croden then tells his daughter that he is going home to Rakhar; Yareth is terri_ed that her father will be killed for defending his family. The cavern rocks as it is attacked by the Miradorn ship. As the trio _ees to the Runabout, Odo is caught under a rockfall and knocked unconscious. Croden turns to go back for the fallen security chief, then hesitatesand leaves him there to return to Yareths side. But then another strike shakes the cavern, and Croden goes back for Odo after all, picking him up and dragging him to the Runabout. Odo awakens in the Runabout and questions Crodens decisionnot to leave him behind. Croden replies, I already regret it. The ship shakes again from another Miradorn attack, and Croden worries that one of the torpedos will set off a tohmair explosion and kill them all. Odo conceives of a desperate plan to make use of the explosive gas to achieve escape. They head to a tohmair pocket and sit motionless near the outer edge of it. The Miradorn ship hails the Runabout, and Odo attempts to bluff his way past the other ship, but fails. Just as the Miradorn ship _res on the Runabout, Odo engages the engines, and the Runabout breaks free of the tohmair pocket, leaving the Miradorn ship to be engulfed in _ames. As the Runabout resumes course toward Rakhar, Croden requests that Odo take care of Yareth for him. Yareth clings to her father.Suddenly, a Vulcan ship hails the Runabout, asking if they need assistance; the Vulcans noticed the explosion in the nebula and came to see what happened. Odo tells them that the Runabout is not damaged, and asks where their ship is headed; they reply that they are headed back to Vulcan. Odo says that he managed to rescue two survivors from another ship that was caught in the explosion and destroyed, and asks if the Vulcans are willing to take the two of them aboard. The Vulcans agree.Croden stares at Odo in disbelief, and Odo says, sourly,Dont thank me. I already regret it. He tells Croden that he will tell Rakhar that the prisoner was killed in the asteroid when the Miradorn ship attacked. Croden gives Odo the locket as a keepsake, and Yareth asks him if hes really a Changeling. Odo replies, Yes. I suppose I am. And he smiles.Croden and Yareth are beamed aboard the Vulcan ship, leaving Odo alone with the locket. He stares at it. Home_where is it? Someday well know_.cousin. tc "Battle Lines"Battle LinesEpisode Number: 413Air Date: 4/24/93

As the show opens, Sisko, Dax, and OBrien are in Siskos of_ce discussing some computer _les left by the Cardassians. They dont appear to contain anything of import, but OBrien suggests that Kira be warned before she reads the _le on her that is included. Kira walks in just at this point, and demands to read her own _le. The others leave her there with the computer.Down in Ops, Sisko is contacted by Dr. Bashir, who reports that hes at the loading dock, and Sisko should come there right away to greet an unexpected visitorKai Opaka, who is accepting an invitation from Sisko to take a tour of the station. Kira comes out of Siskos of_ce, complaining bitterly that the Cardassian _le showed that the Cardassians considered her mostly harmless and of little relevance. Sisko tells her of the Kais arrival and they go down to the docks where Kai Opaka and Bashir are. Sisko tells Bashir that this is the Kais _rst trip off of Bajor in her life, and Bashir comments that she seems preoccupied with something. The tour group stops by one of the stations viewports that looks out over the site of the wormhole, which is not currently visible. Kai Opaka stares out the window, making a cryptic comment about contemplating the vagueness of prophecy, and expresses regret that she wont be able to see the wormhole itself. Sisko offers to take her through it on a Runabout, in the company of himself and Kira, and Opaka gratefully accepts. Bashir manages to _nagle his way into being included in the party, and the four of them head back to the docks. At the docks, they _nd OBrien preparing the Yangtze Kian.Kai Opaka approaches him, somehow discerns that he is a father, and gives him a necklace as a gift for Molly.The Runabout travels through the wormhole, and the Opaka is very impressed by the passage. Sisko tells her that in a few years she will see the difference it will make to Bajor, and the Kai looks oddly grave and says only, If that is to be my fate. Having accomplished their goal of showing the wormhole to Opaka, they begin to turn the Runabout around to head back to the station, but the Kai is reluctant to return so quickly. She makes another cryptic comment about the vagueness of prophecy, to Siskos puzzlement, but seeing his unease at the prospect of going any further, she sighs and agrees to the concluding of the trip. As they are coming about, the Runabout picks up an unexplained subspace radio signal. Sisko is disinclined to investigate, due to the Kais presence on the ship, but the Kai encourages him to proceed, saying I dont get out often.They home in on the signal and _nd a planet, around which orbits a moon with a network of satellites surrounding it. One of them is malfunctioning, the source of the signal they received. Bashir scans the planet and announces that there are lifeforms on it that might be humanoid. The Runabout moves in closer for a better look.One of the satellites starts to scan the ship, and then, without warning, _res on it. The Runabout is badly damaged, and begins to plummet down to the surface of the moon as the crew strive to control its descent. They are just barely successful in bringing the Yangtze Kian down to a hard landing on the moons surface, more or less intact. The planetoid is not a friendly world; the surface is rocky, barren and forbidding. Sisko drags himself from the damaged Runabout, followed by Bashir; the two of them then pull Kai Opaka out and carry her away from the ship, with Kira right behind. The Kai has been seriously injured in the crash. Kira tries to go to her but Sisko restrains the major as Bashir begins trying to resuscitate Opaka. She is too badly injured, however, and he is unable to help. She dies without speaking another word. Kira collapses over the body in overwhelming grief, and Sisko and Bashir stand by in silence as the major cries helplessly over her fallen leader. They fail to notice that they are being watched until a troop of ragged, armed humanoids emerges from the rocky landscape and surrounds them. In Ops, Dax, OBrien, and Odo have noticed that the Yangtze Kian is overdue for return. Odo anxiously comments that the Bajorans are not happy with Sisko for taking the Kai through the wormhole in the Runabout. Dax and OBrien decide to take a second Runabout through to the Gamma Quadrant to search for the missing ship and crew.Back on the moon, the Star_eet personnel, under guard, have been brought to a cavern where the locals, who call themselves the Ennis, live. They meet with the leader of the group, Shel-La, who questions Sisko about his origins and purpose in coming to the moon.Sisko introduces the others of the crew, and Shel-La reacts strangely when told that Bashir is a doctor. Kira tries to free herself from the grip of one of the guards, but nearly faints in pain from her wounded shoulder, to Bashirs alarm. The doctor demands his medical kit back from Shel-La, and one of the Ennis picks it up and starts to rummage through it, until Bashir snatches it from her in exasperation and turns to tend to Kira. Shel-La tells Sisko of a continuous war they are _ghting with an unforgiving and vicious enemy called the Nol. The arrival of Sisko and his crew is likely to cause complications. Sisko states that they expect to be rescued before too long, but Shel-La is not convinced; the satellites are an automatic defense system which keeps them all prisoned on the planet; they are not under the inhabitants control, so any rescue ship can expect to suffer the same fate as the Yangtze Kian.According to Shel-La, the presence of Sisko and the others in the camp has marked them as allies of the Ennis, putting their lives in serious danger from the Nol. Sisko enquires about the condition of some injured Ennis in the cavern, and is told that the Ennis have no medical personnel at all. Shel-la expresses the hope that Sisko and he can help each other.Bashir treats Kiras injuries, but the grief-shocked major hardly seems to notice. Bashir, seeing her distress, expresses his regrets to Kira for his inability to save the Kai. With quiet despair, Kira decries the pointlessness of Opakas death and their own likely demise.Sisko comes over and tells them that Shel-La has offered them protection from the Nol in exchange for Bashirs medical assistance.Suddenly, the cavern is attacked by blaster-wielding humanoids who charge the Ennis, _ring without pause. The Star_eet crew take cover as Ennis and Nol alike fall in combat. Kira lunges from her hiding place and _res her phaser at a rock outcropping, which collapses on top of several Nol. The rest of the invaders _ee, leaving a scene of carnage behind. Sisko and Bashir emerge from their refuge and walk among the fallen Ennis; Bashir begins to tend to the wounded. Then Kira draws their attention to a shadowed _gure at the mouth of the cave. It moves closer, until they can see that it is Kai Opakaalive.An astonished Bashir scans the Kai and determines that she appears to be physically _ne. Opaka remembers nothing after the crash. Bashir tells Sisko that the Kais physiology has been radically altered by the invasion of some sort of bio-mechanical construct into her cells which is now controlling all of her systems.Sisko questions him for more details, but Bashir is unable to provide them, to the doctors considerable frustration. Bashir suggests that he could go back to the Runabout and try to repair the computer so he can do a more complete analysis, but before Sisko can reply Kira calls them over to where the Ennis dead have been gathered. As they watch, the fallen Ennis revive. Dax and OBrien are in the Gamma Quadrant in the Rio Grande, searching for the missing Runabout. OBrien is puzzled by their inability to locate even a transponder signal. They begin to follow the warp trail left by the other craft, which heads toward an uncharted binary star system.Back in the cavern, Kira and Opaka are helping the wounded while Bashir scans Shel-La and determines that the same changes seen in the Kai are present in the Ennis leader as well. Shel-La says he has died more times than he can count. Bashir restates his request to Sisko that he be allowed to go back to the Yangtze Kian; Sisko considers it too dangerous. Shel-La offers to see that Bashir is protected, and Sisko reluctantly gives his assent. Sisko questions Shel-La about the origins of the war, and is told that on their home planet the Ennis and Nol-Ennis had been _ghting for generations. When their leaders were unable to settle on a peace agreement, the two races were exiled to this place as an example to the rest of civilization. No one can recall what began the _ghting, but a desire for vengeance for the atrocities committed by the Nol keeps it going. Kira breaks into the conversation, angrily criticizing the Ennis strategy and tactics, and telling them how to improve their chances. Sisko tries to cut her off, but she ignores him, continuing to berate Shel-La in increasingly strident fashion until Kai Opaka tells her, This is not your war, Kira. Shel-La says that at _rst the Ennis defended themselves better, but that they no longer see the point. Sisko then proposes that if the two sides can manage to cooperate until rescue arrives from Star_eet, he will arrange to have all of them transported off of the moon, to wherever they wish to go. Shel-La is intrigued by this prospect of hope for his people, and Sisko points out that his offer is intended for the Nol as well as the Ennis. Shel-La says that Zlangco, the leader of the Nol, will never agree to a cease-_re, but Sisko urges him to try, and Shel-La says that he will.On the Rio Grande, Dax and OBrien are having dif_culty scanning the planets of the binary star system due to interference from the suns. It looks as if they will have to scan each planet individuallya lengthy processif they hope to _nd the crew. OBrien conceives of a plan to locate the downed Runabout by scanning for its unique metallic alloy structure, if only he can build the required device. Back at the Yangtze Kian, Bashir has managed to get the ships computer up and running. In the cavern, Shel-La tells Sisko that Zlangco has agreed to meet to talk at a neutral site near the crashed Runabout. Kira is concerned that it might be a trap, and Shel-La offers to let her come along, but Sisko orders Kira to stay with the Kai. When he and the Ennis have left, the Kai speaks to Kira about Kiras reactions to the Ennis and their never-ceasing war. Opaka suggests that perhaps Kira sees herself re_ected in these people, and Kira protests that the Ennis are content to die, which is what she has fought against for many years. Kira is distressed that the Kai might see her as similar to the Ennisenjoying violence, soulless, a warrior without a conscience. She admits that the war she fought was nasty and brutal, but states that she has put all that behind her now. The Kai looks at Kira, who is on her knees before Opaka, and gently takes her ear in one hand. Kira breaks down and cries as the Kai gathers her close, saying that she must accept the violence in her own nature so that she can begin to move beyond it. The whole planet of Bajor has much to learn from peace. Kira is afraid that the Prophets wont forgive her for her actions during the war, but the Kai says that the Prophets are only waiting for Kira to forgive herself.On the Rio Grande, Dax and OBrien have _nally succeeded in located the crashed Runabout, on a moon of the third planet. They head for it at full impulse.On the moon, Bashir climbs out of the Yangtze Kian as Sisko arrives with the Ennis. The Nol-Ennis have also gathered at the site.Bashir tells Sisko that hes repaired the computer and begun his analysis. Sisko explains the possibility of a cease-_re between the two warring parties, and his own offer of rescue for them if they can come to an agreement. Bashir jokes that this is rather like assisting in a jailbreak, but the comment earns him a chewing-out from Sisko, who is not in a joking mood. Sisko speaks with Zlangco, who questions him about the Federation and his motivations for offering them a means off the planet. He is deeply suspicious of Sisko, and Shel-La calls him a fool. Zlangco replies with angry insults of his own, and the two sides brandish weapons. Sisko appeals to the gathered Ennis and Nol-Ennis, pleading with them to in_uence their leaders to see reason, but there is no response. Zlangco asks why Sisko and his people have allied with the Ennis; Sisko denies having done so, and Zlangco points out that Kira _red on the Nol. Sisko claims self-defense, but Zlangco calls him a liar. The Nol leader believes that the talk of a cease-_re is a trap, intended to lure the Nol population out of hiding for easy slaughter. He tell Shel-la that if his intentions are honorable, he should have all the Ennis come out.Shel-la begins to laugh unpleasantly, telling Zlangco that he has no intention of letting any of the Nol leave the moon alive. Zlangco replies in kind, and spits. A vicious combat immediately breaks out between the Nol and the Ennis. Sisko is swept up into the fray as a Nol attacks him, and he defends himself bare-handed as the battle rages all around. A second Nol approaches Sisko from behind, weapon ready to strike, but Bashir emerges from the Runabout and _attens Sisko with a _ying tackle, saving him. He tells Sisko that hes completed his analysis, and none of them can afford to die here even once.The _ghting ends when all of the Nol and Ennis lie dead on the ground. Bashir explains to Sisko that the microbe he detected permanently changes the physiology of anyone it infects, rendering them incapable of surviving without it. Furthermore, the organism itself can only live on this moon; anyone who is infected by it would die if they left. Siskos expression is grim as he realizes that this applies to Kai Opaka as well. Siskos comm badge chirps as OBrien _nally manages to make contact.He tells Sisko they cant beam the crew out until they can _gure out a way to get past the satellites, but theyre working on it.Sisko warns OBrien about the satellites, then he and Bashir head back to the cavern as around them the Nol and Ennis begin once more to revive. In the cavern, Sisko tells the Kai that neither side took the cease-_re seriously; Opaka is unsurprised. She states that Kira was correctthese people have forgotten how to do anything but die.Sisko tells them that rescue is imminent, then looks at the Kai, gathering himself to tell her what Bashir learned. But before he can speak, Opaka does, saying that she intends to stay on the moon. She knew that when she came through the wormhole, she would not be returning. She tells Kira to return to Bajor and tell the Bajorans that she has answered the call of the Prophets and will be staying to help the Ennis and Nol-Ennis begin to heal, as Kira has begun to heal.On the Rio Grande, Dax and OBrien have a plan to try to make a gap in the satellite net so they can beam out the crew. Sisko informs them that only three of them will be returning; the Kai will be staying. Shel-La enters the cave on the tail end of this conversation, and asks Sisko if they will be leaving without the Ennis. Bashir tells him about the microbe that will kill them if they go. The doctor then tells Sisko that, although he is unsure of the morality of what he proposes, it should be possible to modify the microbe such that the Ennis and Nol-Ennis would not revive after death. Shel-la grasps this idea like a drowning man clutching a rope, and begs Sisko to do this, so as to end the war. Kira questions that returning the fear of death to the combatants will actually end the warits never worked in other wars. Shel-la replies that what it will let them do is _nally wipe out the Nol for good, which will end the war.Bashir is shocked and horri_ed, and walks away. Shel-la continues to beg, calling the disabled microbe the ultimate weapon that would _nally allow them to destroy their enemies, but Bashir only looks at him in disgusted disbelief, then turns away. OBrien signals his readiness to beam the crew up to the Rio Grande, then launches a probe to distract one of the defense satellites and make a hole in the net. Down below, Shel-la objects to Siskos leaving his people there like this, but Sisko only stares at him. There is the sound of _ghting from the cave entrance, and the Ennis take up arms and rush out to join in, as always. Sisko tells the Kai they will try to _nd a way to allow her to return home. Opaka says that her work is here nowbut that someday, their paths may cross again.

The episode opens with Sisko dictating his station log. He has been asked by the Bajoran government to mediate a land dispute between two Bajoran groups, the Paqu and the Navot. The dispute is serious enough that it may lead to war between the two factions.Sisko enters Ops and is briefed by Kira on the status of the arriving representatives of the two denominations. The brie_ng is interrupted when OBrien enters, calling for Siskos attention. Acting rather uncomfortable, he requests that Sisko replace him with another crewmember as pilot for the Runabout mission to which he has been assigned. Siskos questions whether he has a good reason for the request, and as OBrien gropes for one, Bashir walks in, searching for the Ops Chief. Bashir asks Sisko for more details on his current assignment, which involves a medical emergency in a Bajoran village, but Sisko has no more information to offer. Bashir heads for the Runabout, and OBrien reluctantly follows. On the way out, the doctor tells the Ops Chief that hes looking forward to the shuttle trip as a chance for the two of them to get to know each other better; the expression on OBrien face indicates that hes not nearly as thrilled by this prospect as Bashir is. Sisko and Kira discuss the upcoming negotiations over the land dispute. Kira is concerned that the proceedings could turn unpleasant; the two opposing factions come from a harsh region of Bajor and are as hard and unyielding as the land they live on. Sisko tries to reassure her that he is experienced in such matters, and that with Kiras help there should be no real problems. They proceed to a docking bay to meet the ship of one of the factions leaders, the Tetrarch of the Paqu. When the Tetrarch, named Varis, emerges, they are surprised to _nd that she is a teenaged girl.In the Runabout en route to Bajor, Bashir and OBrien sit in silence. An unusually hesitant Bashir breaks it by asking the laconic OBrien, Do I_.*annoy* you? OBrien dodges the question. Bashir doggedly continues trying to engage him in conversation, without appreciable success; OBrien evades the younger mans verbal forays with poorly concealed irritation. Eventually Bashir gives up, though he makes one _nal request: that OBrien call him Julian instead of Sir. OBrien is less than comfortable with this suggestion, but when the time comes to beam the two of them down to the planet, he goes along with italthough the name comes out sounding more like a swear word.The Bajoran village seems undisturbed when they arrive; Bashir scans their surroundings and is unable to _nd any sign of a village-threatening health problem. They are approached by Faren, the village magistrate, who is very agitated; he leads the two of them to a dwelling where an elderly Bajoran man lies in bed, being attended by a much younger Bajoran. Bashir scans the old man and asks how many others are sick; Faren says only this man, the Sirah, is illbut that if he dies, the whole village will die.Back on the station, Sisko and Kira have brought leaders of the Paqu and the Navot together for a preliminary meeting. The heart of the dispute is an old treaty between the two groups, stating that the border between their two territories is to be a certain river; the river was diverted by the Cardassians during the occupation, and lands which used to belong to the Navot are now on the Paqu side of the river. Both parties lay claim to the land. The leader of the Navot, Woban, is patronizing toward the young Paqu Tetrarch, comparing her unfavorably to the former Tetrarch, her father; his attitude angers Varis. Quark comes by to offer drinks, and presents the girl with a glass of juice for the little lady; the comment earns him a face full of juice from the enraged Tetrarch, who storms from the room.Quark, blinking juice from his eyes, tells Sisko, Im still going to charge her for that drink.Outside, on the Promenade, Nog and Jake are sitting on the elevated walkway, feet dangling over the edge, tossing things down at the people passing by underneath. They are bored; Jake wants to play baseball but Nog isnt interested. Odo comes over and sternly orders the boys not to dangle over the railing; they stand up, but the moment he leaves, they go back to their former seats. Nog looks down and sees the young Tetrarch striding by, and is taken by a sudden, strong appreciation for the girl. He runs off to try and meet her, with Jake trailing behind. In the Bajoran village, the Sirah awakens, crying out about The DalRok!. Bashir and the mans young assistant, Hovath, move to his side, and the aged Bajoran takes Bashirs hand in his, saying, The Prophets sent you, didnt they? Bashir is puzzled, and after an instant the old man releases him, stating, You are not the oneit must be your companion. He demands to see OBrien, and when the Ops Chief comes over, the Sirah clasps his hand, and says, I knew the Prophets would not fail us. Seemingly satis_ed, he lets go of OBrien and dismisses the two Star_eet of_cers without offering an explanation. As Bashir and OBrien leave the Sirahs cottage, wondering about the elderly mans actions, they are approached by Faren who asks how the Sirah is. The prognosis is not good; the old man is simply dying of advanced age, and beyond keeping him comfortable, there is nothing Bashir can do. Faren is alarmedWe *need* him! The DalRok will be here soon! When OBrien asks what a DalRok is, Faren explains that it is a terrible creature that comes every year at harvest time, for _ve nights in a row, and attacks the village.Tonight is the fourth night, and the Sirah will be required to drive the DalRok away. Bashir is doubtful that the Sirah will be strong enough to do anything of the sort, and Faren repeats as before that without the Sirah, the village will be destroyed. On the station, Nog and Jake have located the girls guest quarters, though they are unaware of her status. They try to taunt each other into ringing the bell, and begin to scuf_e, then stop as Varis opens the door and sharply demands to know what they are doing.After a tongue-tied Nog tries to make introductions, Jake takes over that job, and the Tetrarch acquires a thoughtful look when she hears Jakes last name. The boys enter the room and make friendly overtures, suggesting an outing to watch the wormhole, and Varis agrees to the trip. In the village, night has fallen and, over Bashirs protests, the Sirah is helped from his house to a rocky promontory overlooking the village. The wind starts to rise, without apparent cause, as the Sirah begins recite a ceremonious litany about the strength and malice of the monstrous DalRok. As he speaks, a strange looking cloud appears in the sky above the village, and begins to grow larger as the villagers cry out in alarm. OBrien and Bashir watch in astonishment.OBrien scans the clouds and exclaims that it doesnt appear to be showing up on the tricorder at all. Bashir suggests that it might be a hologram, but OBrien rejects that explanation since there is no sign of a power source for it. The Sirah continues to chant, and strange lightnings begin to _icker around the DalRok. The Sirah calls upon the strength and unity of the village to drive back the DalRok, and the villagers respond to his words, shouting angrily at the apparition. As they do so, a curtain of shimmering light forms in the air above the gathered Bajorans, and streams out toward the DalRokand the DalRok retreats before it. But as the Sirah continues his recital, he suddenly gasps, clutches his chest, and falls. Hovath and Bashir race to his side as above them, a tendril of cloud lashes out from the DalRok, striking a cliff face and sending several villagers tumbling.Another bolt hits, and the villagers begin to panic as Bashir yells for OBriens assistance with the Sirah. The Sirah calls for his successor; Hovath moves closer, but the Sirah pushes him away and calls for the One the Prophets have sentnamely, OBrien. The elderly Bajoran pulls himself to his feet, with OBriens help, and tells the bemused Ops Chief to take up the ceremonial chant.With prompting from the Sirah, OBrien does so, and the panicky villagers begin to reunite. The shimmering light above them reforms and once again contacts the DalRok, which shrinks in response until it has vanished completely. The DalRok is defeated!, says OBrien, and the village erupts with cheers just as the Sirah collapsesand dies. Faren presents a stunned OBrien to the villagers as their new Sirah. Back on the station, Kira enters Quarks and asks for a drink. When Quark enquires about the negotiations, Kira tells him, Make it a double. In Siskos of_ce, Sisko confronts the uncooperative young Tetrarch about the lack of progress in their negotiations. Varis does not appear interested in compromise with the Navot; in fact, she seems fully prepared to thrust her people into all-out war over the disputed land. Sisko asks her to make sure that her people are as willing as she is to die over that land, and the Tetrarch strides out without replying. Meanwhile, on the Promenade, Jake and Nog are wondering where their new friend has gone to. Jake teases Nog about his crush and Nog shows _ashes of jealousy over Jakes easy rapport with Varis. They encounter the topic of their conversation sitting in their favorite spot, legs dangling over the Promenade, looking downcast. The boys, still unaware of her position, ask her what the problem is and she explains it in non-speci_c, oblique terms, saying that someone wants to take something from her. Nog suggests that she might perhaps _nd something that she wants to trade for the item in question, saying that a situation like the one she is in represents an opportunity, and the Tetrarch considers his statement. The conversation turns to the topic of parents; Jake speaks of his father with admiration, and with some reservations, Nog also praises his own father, Rom. Varis tells them that her parents were both killed by the Cardassians, and Jake tells her that his mother was killed by the Borg. Varis expresses her appreciation of Jakes trust in his father. The conversation ends when Odo appears and again chases the youngsters away from their favorite perch.On Bajor, a worried OBrien paces back and forth in the Sirahs house while Bashir comments with evident enthusiasm about how fascinating he _nds the whole situation. OBrien, irritated, tries to quash the doctor by pointing out that the villagers expect him to stop the DalRok and he hasnt the faintest idea of how to go about it, which could get them all killed. Their conversation is interrupted by a parade of villagers arriving with gifts for the new Sirah, including Faren and Hovath.One of the gifts OBrien is presented with is a trio of comely young Bajoran women offering, as Bashir puts it, Services, which leads the _ustered OBrien to protest that he has a wife and a daughter on DS9.Faren says he must arrange for them to move to the village, but the Chief insists that he wont be staying. Faren is alarmed, saying that if OBrien doesnt stay the whole village will be destroyed; he is the new Sirah, and the Sirah must tell the story and stop the DalRok.OBrien objects that he hasnt any idea how to do that, but Faren is adamant, and leaves, saying, May the Prophets grant you victory, Sirah. Hovath follows Faren out, but not before giving OBrien a poisonous look. Once they are alone, OBrien tells Bashir that the only way he can think of to get out of this mess is to _nd out what the DalRok is and destroy it before it destroys them. On DS9, Jake and Nog arrive at Varis quarters to try and lure her away to have some fun. She is busy studying maps of the land dispute, however, and declines, then asks Nog how he decides if an opportunity is worth the risk. His reply is, Instinct. Varis considers this and appears to come to some sort of conclusion, and thanks Nog, who is overjoyed by the attention. Nog suggests they go celebrate; he has obtained one of Quarks security rods and thinks it would be amusing to swipe Odos bucket from the security room. Varis is puzzled about why taking a bucket should be fun, but goes along anyway. The three conspirators head for the security of_ce, and Nog sets about breaking in while Jake tries to explain to Varis about Odos shapeshifting and his need to return to liquid form periodicallythus, the bucket. Nog succeeds in getting the doors open and lets Jake and Varis in, then scurries into the back room and emerges a moment later with Odos bucket in his hands. On the way to show his prize to Jake, he stumbles, and the contents of the bucket slop out and splash down the front of Jakes clothes in a long white smear. Jake yelps, ODO!, staring down at himself in horror and trying to scoop up handfuls of the mysterious substance. Nog begins laughing hysterically, and says that its only oatmeal; he _lled the bucket from the replicator.Jake is furious and throws a handful of glop at the young Ferengi, who fails to dodge in time, but keeps laughing anyway. After a moment, Jake and Varis join in. Their laughter is cut short a moment later when the doors open and Odo strides in, looking not at all amused. Nog makes a run for it and gets past Odo, but is captured in the hallway outside by Sisko.Sisko hauls him back to the security of_ce and _nds Odo standing with Jake and Varis. Sisko stares at Varis, who looks down at the _oor. On Bajor, OBrien examines the rockface the DalRok destroyed on the previous night, _nding neutrino traces that seem to indicate that the DalRok had some sort of real substance, in spite of the fact that the tricorder showed nothing. Bashir asks him how he stopped the DalRok, and OBrien insists that he didntthe Sirah must have.OBrien hypothesizes that the old man may have had a control device of some sort. As the two of them head for the Sirahs house to search for such a device, a young woman stops OBrien and asks him to bless her baby; OBrien is taken aback and Bashir has to prod him into going along with the womans request. Then a larger group of villagers appears and starts to head toward them, calling for the Sirah, and OBriens nerve breaks; he _ees toward the Sirahs house, leaving Bashir behind to run interference with the villagers. In the Sirahs cottage, OBrien pokes around at the old mans belongings, scanning them with his tricorder, but _nds nothing of use. The former Sirahs assistant, Hovath, enters, and OBrien recognizes him as having worked for the old man. Hovath states that he was the Sirahs apprentice, and OBrien asks him for the secret of controlling the DalRok. The apprentice sullenly refuses to help, to OBriens frustration and disgust. The angry Ops Chief turns his back on the young Bajoran and begins to examine a bracelet sitting in front of a wall mirror. Hovath pulls something from under his vest and lunges for OBrien, but OBrien sees the motion in the mirror and turns just in time to stop Hovath from stabbing him. The two of them struggle for the knife as Bashir comes in the door, sees whats going on, and moves in to help OBrien disarm his attacker. OBrien, furious, demands to know the reason for the attack, and Hovath replies, You are not the true Sirah! OBrien stares at the young man, and says, You wont get any argument from me! Hovath tells them that he had been the old Sirahs apprentice for nine years, and that he thinks the old Sirah chose OBrien over him in order to punish him. Three nights previously, Hovath had been given the opportunity to try and control the DalRok and had failed, resulting in several villagers being injured. Hovath goes on to say that the bracelet which OBrien had been examining is the key to controlling the DalRok; it contains a fragment of an Orb. Many years ago, their village had been tearing itself apart with internal con_ict; the _rst Sirah had used the Orb fragment to give the villagers fears and hatreds a physical form, and to also give them the ability to defeat it. The DalRok is a construct of the villagers minds, but the villagers themselves are not aware of this fact. The Sirahs story is used as a method of focussing the villagers thoughts toward the defeat of the DalRok. Hovath wants another chance to prove himself, and OBrien is more than happy to give it to him. But as he is transferring the robes of of_ce to the young Bajoran, Faren enters and demands that Hovath take them off; he is not to be allowed to endanger the village a second time. Over OBriens protests, Faren arrays the Ops Chief in the ceremonial robes and leads him out to do battle with the DalRok.In Siskos of_ce on DS9, Sisko and Varis discuss the incident at the security of_ce. Varis claims all responsibility. Sisko is disinclined to let the boys off, but Varis tries to defend them. She tells Sisko that her motive for associating with Jake and Nog was to _nd out from them what sort of a man Sisko was. Jakes trust in his father had given Varis reason to trust Sisko as well, and she confesses to him her fears that if she makes concessions to Woban, he will think her weak. Her father could afford to compromise because Woban feared him; she doesnt have that advantage. Sisko encourages her to take the risk of meeting Wobans demands halfway. Varis considers this for a moment, then says that she has thought of an opportunity for both sides of the disagreement to pro_t.In the village, OBrien leads the ceremonial procession to the site of the battle with the DalRok, followed by Hovath and Bashir.OBrien tries to encourage Hovath to _ght for his right to be Sirah, but Hovath says the villagers will never believe in him after his failure, and without their faith he can never control the DalRok.Leaving Hovath and Bashir down with the gathered villagers, OBrien ascends to the rocky bluff. The villagers cheer him on as he begins attempting to tell the story of the DalRok and the village. As he talks, the wind rises as before, and within moments the DalRok begins to appear in the sky.At _rst OBrien seems to be managing, however roughly, to perform the Sirahs task. But as the DalRok grows in size and menace, the crowd becomes nervous, and Hovath is disturbed. Theres something wrong, he tells Bashir. Bashir replies that whats wrong is that OBrien is not the true SirahHovath is. The doctor urges Hovath to seize this chance to prove himself, but Hovath remains uncertain. OBrien continues to try to tell the story, but as the lightnings begin to _icker around the DalRok, he falters; the villagers, seeing this, start to panic. In the crowd, Hovath watches, as Bashir persists in trying to convince the Sirahs apprentice to go to OBriens aid. Bashir suggests to Hovath that perhaps this was all planned by the old Sirah; knowing that the villagers had lost faith in Hovaths abilities, the old man had selected OBrien instead, knowing that Hovath would have to come to the Chiefs rescue and show himself to be the true Sirah. Meanwhile, OBrien has been rapidly losing control of both the DalRok and the crowd as well. There has been no sign of the rescuing shimmering lights arriving to send the DalRok away. As OBrien stands helplessly, a cloud tendril lashes out from the DalRok and strikes the rocky bluff; OBrien falls, and the villagers give way to their panic and start to _ee the area in terror. Bashir and Hovath charge up the hill, and Hovath snatches the bracelet away from OBrien as Bashir starts to help the Chief up. Hovath plants his feet _rmly on the rocky bluff, raises his hands, and calls out in commanding tone to summon the villagers back to the battle. With new con_dence and surety, he begins to tell the story, and the villagers return to listen. Within moments, the shimmering lights appear, and _ow out to engage the DalRok. As before, the cloud gives way before them, shrinks, and vanishes, leaving the village safe for another year. The jubilant crowd rushes forward to acclaim their new Sirah, as OBrien tells Bashir, Lets get out of here before they change their minds! On the station, the young Tetrarch tells Sisko that she has decided to agree to give Woban the disputed land in exchange for trading rights to both sides of the river. Sisko is hopeful that Woban will accept those terms. Jake and Nog come by to wish her good luck with the _nal meeting, and she thanks them and gives Nog a quick kiss on the cheek. As she enters the meeting room, Odo collars Jake and a starry-eyed Nog and hustles them away, telling them that they are going to clean the security room until it shines.Nearby, OBrien and Bashir enter through an airlock, returning from Bajor. Bashir comments that their adventure on Bajor will make for a good story to tell around the station, but OBrien is not interested in doing any more storytelling. Bashir asks if he can tell it instead, and OBrien says, Suit yourself_.Julian. Bashir says, On second thought, Chief_you dont have to call me Julian. OBrien stops, smiles a little, and replies, Right you are. Sir. tc "Progress"ProgressEpisode Number: 415Air Date: 5/8/93

The show opens with Nog and Jake sharing a friendly game of cards in Quarks, when Quark passes by in the process of berating Rom for making a very unwise purchase of a large quantity of yamok sauce, a culinary dish that Cardassians love and no one else will touch. Nog takes an interest in the conversation, and decides that this may be his opportunity to make a big pro_t; he drags a reluctant Jake off in pursuit of this goal.In Ops, Sisko, Kira, and a Bajoran administrator named Toran are discussing a new combined Bajor/Federation project to tap the core of Bajors _fth moon, Jeraddo, for energy. Several hundred thousand Bajoran homes will bene_t from the project, which will be used to provide heat.Kira and Dax take the _Ganges_ out to Jeraddo to make a routine check of the proceedings. Dax scan of the moon reveals the unexplained presence of a few humanoids in an area of the moon which was supposed to have been evacuated by this point, and Kira beams down to check out the situation. She arrives in the middle of a tiny community surrounded by lush farmland, and is immediately greeted by two of the residentswho wordlessly brandish nasty-looking farm implements at the apprehensive Major. As the menacing couple hold Kira at pitchfork-point, a third man emerges from a nearby cottage, and says They dont like uniforms. After conversing with Kira for a few minutes, the new arrival tells the threatening duo to put their weapons down. Kira tries to explain her reason for coming, but the man, Mullibok, who appears to be the leader of the small farming community, is not inclined to listen. When Kira persists, the farmer _rst patronizes her by calling her girl, and then, when she objects, invites her in for dinner. Back on the station, Jake and Nog approach the captain of the freighter that brought in the useless yamok sauce cargo. Nog wants to sell the sauce to the captain, but hes not interested in buying though he would be willing to trade a load of self-sealing stembolts for the Cardassian delicacy. The stembolts were intended for a Bajoran who was unable to pay for them when they arrived, to the captains disgust. Nog, who has his heart set on acquiring some real latinum, is disinclined to make the trade, but Jake convinces him that its a good deal, and the two boys accept. Their only problem now will be actually getting their hands on Quarks yamok sauce.On Jeraddo, Mullibok tells Kira that his invitation to dinner will require her to remain on the moon for three hours while he prepares it. Kira, irritated but also vaguely amused by the farmers talent for procrastination, sends Dax back to the station, saying that shell catch a lift back with one of the energy project technicians.Kira tries to make conversation with Mulliboks two companions, Baltrim and Keena, but Mullibok informs her that they cant speakThe Cardassians took care of that. All three of them escaped from Bajor to Jeraddo many years ago to get away from the Cardassian invaders. Throughout the conversation, Mullibok continues to patronize and annoy Kira with his comments, which progress from irritating to downright offensive. Kira prepares to give the farmer some of his own back, then realizes that Mullibok is deliberately provoking her in order to try and get her to go away. She tells him he wont succeed. Mullibok asks her name, and is not satis_ed with her of_cial title; he demands to know her _rst name, and, when told, refers to her as Nerys from that point on. Kira reminds Mullibok that the commencement of the core drilling in seven days will render the moon uninhabitable, and he and his companions will have to evacuate to Bajor. Mullibok _atly rejects this, saying hes had his _ll of Bajor. Kira tries to convince him that Bajor has changed since he last saw it, and that he can lead an even better life there than the one he now has on Jeraddo, but Mullibok is unswayed. He states that if he leaves the moon, hell die, and if hes going to die anyway, hed rather die at home. Back at the station, the budding entrepreneurs are implementing their plan to acquire the yamok sauce. Nog simply asks Quark if he wants Nog to take and dispose of the stuff, and Quark, still thoroughly disgusted with the whole mess, is quite happy to let him. Over dinner at Mulliboks, the farmer regales Kira with a series of rambling tall tales of his escape from Bajor and his early days on Jeraddo. He tells Kira she looks like a _ghter, and she admits to having fought against the Cardassians. He says that it must have been a trivial matter to defeat them, and Kira hotly protests that it was nothing of the sortit was a hopeless battle from the very start. Then how did they get rid of the Cardassians? asks Mullibok. We hung on like fanatics, Kira replies. Hung on like fanatics, he echoes. I gotta remember that. Mullibok heads outside to do some bricklaying work on a new kiln hes building, and Kira follows, still trying to undermine the farmers stubborn determination to die with his home. He tells her bluntly that he, like her, intends to hang on, and stay on Jeraddo until the moon is cracked apart. So Kira should let her superiors know. Kira agrees to tell them.On the station, Jake and Nog examine their new stock in trade, the piles of self-sealing stembolts. Unfortunately, they have no idea what stembolts are supposed to be used for, which is likely to hamper their ability to sell them. OBrien enters, asking questions about irregularities with the cargo, and the two boys come up with a plausible (and false) story to explain them. They then try to trick OBrien into telling them what stembolts are good for, but discover to their chagrin that OBrien doesnt know either. Stymied, they decide that the only sure source of information about the cargo is the Bajoran who originally ordered it; fortunately, his name and address are on the packages. Nog comments that, since they acquired the stembolts essentially free, they are in a position to offer the man his cargo at a substantial discount. In Siskos of_ce, Kira explains the situation with Mullibok to Sisko and Toran. She exhibits an unexpectedly large degree of sympathy for the old Bajoran farmer. Sisko suggests offering Mullibok a bribe of some sort in order to gain his cooperation, but Kira rejects this option; the commander then suggests delaying the start-up of the project in order to give Kira time to work on convincing the farmer, but this time Toran rejects the option, saying the delay would be impractical. Toran announces his intention to have Mullibok beamed off Jeraddo without his consent, but Kira objects, stating that this would be tantamount to killing the farmer. Toran is incensed that three stubborn holdouts should be allowed to jeopardize the welfare of hundreds of thousands of other Bajorans. Kira suggests using a different method to obtain the energy, one that would allow the moon to remain habitable, but Toran points out that it would take at least a year to switch over to a new project. Toran states that he believes Kiras emotions are getting the better of her, and questions whether or not she should be replaced on the assignment; she denies the necessity, saying shell do her job.Kira returns to Jeraddo with two Bajoran security men. She sends the two of them to _nd Mulliboks companions while she goes for Mullibok, after cautioning them to take great care to distress the recalcitrant farmers as little as possible with their actions. They head off, and Kira confronts Mullibok with the evacuation order, offering to help him pack his things. Im just doing what needs to be done, she says, and he responds, Me, too. Kira pleads with the farmer not to make her use force, again telling him of the new life he could build on Bajor, but he doesnt respond, instead going off on another rambling anecdote while he continues to work on his kiln. She urges him to rethink his options, but he refuses, telling her shell have to deal with it on her own. She then states that shell pack his things herself.Before she can reach Mulliboks cottage, there is a shout from the other part of the settlement. She turns to see the two security men coming back with Baltrim and Keena, but one of the security men is bleeding. He yells that one of the couple stuck him with a farm weapon. Mullibok shouts Let her go! and attacks the uninjured security man who is holding Keena, and the wounded security man pulls a phaser and _res, felling the old farmer. Kira kneels beside Mulliboks unconscious body and shouts at the security men to get back to the station and bring medical help.Back on the station, Nog and Jake have contacted the Bajoran who ordered the stembolts, using a communications terminal that they have rigged so that their identities cannot be discerned. Nog tells the Bajoran that they are the Nojay Consortium and offers him the stembolts for a very reasonable amount of gold-pressed latinum. The Bajoran says that he has no latinum, to Nogs serious disappointment, but offers to trade them the title to a small piece of land on Bajor in exchange for the cargo. As with the stembolts, Nog would rather have latinum and is unimpressed with the offer, but Jake once again convinces him that the deal is good and should be made, and they do so.On Jeraddo, Bashir tends to the badly injured Mullibok, who is being a dif_cult patient. Mullibok makes a cantankerous comment to Kira about her actions, and she turns and walks out without replying. Mullibok then mutters that Kira could have seized the opportunity while he was unconscious to beam everyone off the moon, and asks Bashir where Baltrim and Keena are. Bashir says theyve been evacuated to Bajor, and goes on to state his intention to take Mullibok back to DS9 to continue caring for his injury. Mullibok rejects that in no uncertain terms. The frustrated doctor goes outside to complain to Kira about Mulliboks attitude, and tells her that he intends to take Mullibok to the station without his permission. Kira refuses to let him, however, to Bashirs baf_ement; he protests that theres no medical facility in the settlement, and Kira replies that he should leave instructions and supplies and shell care for Mullibok herself. She then removes her uniform jacket and goes over to work on the kiln that Mullibok was building. Later, in Siskos of_ce, Bashir tells a solemn Sisko of Kiras actions on Jeraddo. Sisko says that he intends to tell Toran that Kira will be staying on Jeraddo for a few days at Bashirs request. Bashir, distressed, comments that this isnt true, and Sisko pointedly orders him to *make* it true. Bashir complies, though hes not very happy about the situation.Back on Jeraddo, Kira tends to Mullibok, her mood obviously dark. He asks her why shes angry, but she cant give him any real answer. She tells him about an ugly awful old tree that used to grow outside her bedroom window on Bajor; she didnt like it, but she admits that it had a lot of character. Mullibok asks if she cut it down, and she replies, I dont know yet.Kira is contacted by Sisko, who is in orbit in a Runabout. He says he plans to beam down. Kira protests, but Sisko says, Either Im coming down, or youre coming up. Mullibok comments, He doesnt have much faith in you, does he? Sisko beams down and knocks on the door of Mulliboks house; the farmer comes to the door and tells Sisko to go away. Kira emerges and scolds Mullibok for speaking for her, and Sisko asks to speak to her alone. They walk over to the kiln together and Kira starts laying bricks. Sisko tells her shes jeopardizing her career by her actions here; he understands why she feels for Mullibok, since hes the underdog and in much the same situation Kira was in with the Cardassians. But youre on the *other side* now, he says. She turns to face him, anguished. Pretty uncomfortable, isnt it?, he continues. Its awful, she replies. Sisko crouches down beside Kira and tells her that, althoughhe didnt like her at _rst, he now both likes and *needs* her, and is not looking forward to having to break in a replacement. His fate is already decided. Yours isnt. He tells her a Runabout will be waiting, and beams out.Night falls on Jeraddo. Mullibok is sleeping uneasily, and Kira goes over to soothe him. He wakens and is cantankerous, as usual, but asks Kira to move a chair over and sleep by him. She does so. On the station, Nog and Jake are playing cards again as Nog grumbles that he hasnt been able to make any real money with all his dealing. Jake tries to convince him that land is always a good investment, but Nog thinks its just dirt, and that theyd have been better off to keep the stembolts. Quark and Odo walk by, discussing a mysterious new commercial venture operation off the station, the Nojay Consortium. Odo has been contacted by a Bajoran conglomerate which wants to purchase a piece of land owned by this organization, but it has been unable to _nd them. The land is wanted as a site for a reclamation facility, which Quark comments makes it a wonderful opportunity for the lands owners to pro_t. Nog and Jake listen in with delight. Quark _nishes by saying that he doesnt know who the Nojay Consortium is, but he intends to _nd outand demand his cut of the action. After Odo leaves, Nog approaches his uncle and makes him a very good offer on a certain piece of Bajoran land. Quark stares at him, then looks at Jake, and light dawns.On the moon, daylight has arrived, and Kira awakens in her chair to see that Mullibok is already outside, at work on his now nearly _nished kiln. She goes out and starts to help him with his work, but he tells her to go back inside and get breakfast. She replies that there isnt time for that. Youre _nally leaving?, he asks.She doesnt reply, but instead places the last brick on the kiln, completing it. She goes into the house and emerges a moment later with bags, and tells him, Youve _nished your work. Now I have to _nish mine. Mullibok says, As long as that cottage stands, I stay here. Instead of replying, Kira draws her phaser and _res at the kiln, destroying it. As Mullibok shouts at her, she takes a brand and lights it from the kiln, then uses it to set _re to Mulliboks house.She returns to Mulliboks side, telling them that although the time she has spent with Mullibok has been important to her, they both have to get on with their lives now. Mullibok tells her that if shes really his friend, shell use her phaser on him as well, but Kira cant bring herself to do it. If I leave here, Ill die, says Mullibok.No, you wont, Kira says. I wont let you.The two of them beam out, leaving Jeraddo behind.tc "If Wishes Were Horses"If Wishes Were HorsesEpisode Number: 416Air Date: 5/15/93

As the show opens, Odo and Quark are sitting in Quarks place, chatting. They see Jake Sisko entering a holosuite; Odo questions the purpose for which the commanders son plans to use the room, but Quark explains to him that Jake employs the holosuite for baseball games, not games of a more adult nature. Quark goes on to expound upon his future plans for adding on a family entertainment center to his place, complete with rides for the kiddies and Ferengi salesman peddling useless souveniers. In another part of Quarks, Dax and Bashir are sharing dinner while Bashir once again tries to convince Dax that shes his one true love in the Universe. Dax comments that he didnt seem to feel that way while he was courting other females on the station recently; only slightly abashed, Bashir says that they were just poor substitutes for Dax herself. Dax is amused but not beguiled, and tells Bashir that hes a wonderful friendwhich, predictably, distresses Bashir as his hopes for something more intimate are once again dashed. Dax heads off, telling the frustrated doctor to take a high pitched sonic shower. He grumbles that he already tried that, and it didnt help.Dax enters Ops to _nd Sisko and Kira checking out an odd high-density thoron reading in the Denorios belt. Dax speculates that the increased traf_c through the plasma _eld might be responsible, and wonders if it could be a sign of impending trouble.In the OBrien quarters, the Ops Chief is putting his daughter to bed with a fairy tale, Rumplestiltskin, as Keiko watches. When the story is _nished, the OBriens kiss Molly goodnight and head off to their own bed. Before they can take more than a few steps, though, Mollys door opens and the toddler comes out, saying that Rumplestiltskin is in her bedroom. Miles tries to reassure her that Rumplestiltskin is a _ctional character, while commenting to Keiko, Why do we tell her stories about evil dwarves that want to steal children?He shepherds the child back into her room, only to discover to his shock that Rumplestiltskin *is* insideor someone looking very much as Rumplestiltskin might. OBrien hands Molly to Keiko, telling her to take their daughter and leave; Keiko is puzzled, until Rumplestiltskin follows OBrien out into the main room and begins toying with all the knickknacks, making a royal mess. OBrien summons Security, then tries to demand an explanation from the little man; however, all he gets by way of answer are unhelpful comments about spinning straw into gold. OBrien tries to dispel the dwarf with his name, but Rumplestiltskin scoffs at the attempt and fails to vanish. Two security men enter the room, phasers drawn, and the dwarf cautions them not to try and grab him. But, at OBriens impatient gesture, they try anyway, only to have the little being disappear without a sound. The dwarf then reappears, and tells OBrien he should name his needs, and Rumplestiltskin will name his price. Sisko is sitting in his quarters when OBrien calls in on his comm badge, asking for the commanders assistance. On his way out, Sisko encounters Jake, who stops his father to introduce Sisko to his companion, a man in an old-fashioned baseball uniform that says Kings on it. Jake says the man followed him home from the holosuite.The ballplayer greets Sisko with a Hello, Ben, while Sisko stares at him in amazement. Elsewhere on the station, Bashir is snoozing, apparently having pleasant dreams of female companionship, when he awakens with a start to realize that hes not just dreamingDax is there. And shes behaving in an uncharacteristically amorous fashion, to the young doctors astonishment. As Dax continues to press her advances, a thoroughly _ustered Bashir decides one of the two of them must be illeither *shes* feverish or *hes* hallucinating. His nearly frantic attempts to _gure out whats going on are hampered by Daxs increasingly distracting attentions, as she asks him, Why are you _ghting this?. He realizes that he doesnt have a good answer for that, and decides to cooperate with the inevitable. Just as they are getting down to serious business, however, Kira summons all senior staff to Ops. Bashir decides that this whole scene must be a practical joke on him, probably instigated by OBrien, and rounds on Dax in bitter resentment. Dax denies it, but he yanks on his boots and stalks out of the room. She follows. The two of them arrive at Ops to _nd the rest of the senior staff waiting for themalong with the dwarf Rumplestiltskin and the baseball player Harmon Buck Bokai. Sisko explains that holodeck images and fairy-tale characters have come to life on the station, and asks Dax if it could be related to the increase in the thoron _eld they noted earlier. Dax reacts with a total lack of comprehension. A second later the lift arrives in Opscarrying a second Dax, who suggests that Sisko should be asking *her* that. Bashir gapes back and forth between the two Daxes as the alter-Dax hides behind him. Bashir scans the three apparitions and determines that they all appear to be completely real. Bokai asks Sisko what this is all about, and Sisko tells him that hes just a holodeck image. Bokai protests that he remembers everything he ever did, and Sisko states that all that information was programmed into the computer. Bokai came out of Jakes imagination, the same way that Rumplestiltskin came out of OBriens, and the alter-Dax out of Bashirs. Bashir tries to deny responsibility for the alter-Dax, who is nuzzling him in a suggestive fashion, but quickly realizes that its pointless. The real Dax watches him _ounder, an odd expression on her face. The alter-Dax suggests she and Bashir go to his quarters, and he stalks away from her in exasperation, saying he hasnt got time for this.The alter-Dax promptly vanishes. The real Dax suggests that the apparitions might be a result of a dimensional shift or a subspace anomaly too small for her to notice with her previous scans. Sisko assigns her and OBrien to the task of studying the problem.Odo calls up from the Promenade, telling Sisko that its snowing on the Promenade. Sisko orders the station to yellow alert, as Daxs scans detect some sort of subspace rift forming close to the station. Odo reports in again, saying that the snow has vanished but has been replaced by a Goonjee jackdaw, a large bird resembling an Earth emu. Down in Quarks, the bars patrons are having a remarkable winning streak. Odo enters and calls for attention, then requests, with a straight face, that everyone refrain from using their imaginations. Quark comes down the staircase from the second level, and he has apparently been using his, for he is accompanied by a pair of barely dressed lovelies, one dark, one fair, and both extremely attentive to him. Odo says that the staff is working on solving the problem of the strange manifestations; Quark says that theres no hurry, until Odo points out that Quarks customers are in the process of bankrupting him at the Dabo table. Quark rushes over in alarm to try to discourage the players, but fails, and is so distressed that he loses interest in his female attendants.In the science lab, Dax and Bashir are studying the subspace rift. Dax says that the proximity of the wormhole is amplifying the rupture. They work for a few moments in silence, which is broken by Bashir attempting to forward an apology to Dax for the situation with the alter-Dax and her behavior. Dax replies that she feels like everyone else should apologize to Bashir for their unintentional invasion of his privacy. Bashir is relieved, and the two of them agree to put the incident behind them. But a second later, Dax comments, She really is submissive, isnt she? Do you really want me to be that submissive, Julian? As he gropes for a reply, alter-Dax appears on the scene, complaining to the real Dax that shes not submissive, shes simply not the cold _sh like the real Dax, who is not in the least amused by this characterization. Bashir tries frantically to limit the damage the alter-Dax is doing with her comments, without success; the alter-Dax tells the real Dax that she should be more appreciative of Bashirs charms, clinging to the doctor all the while.The computer interrupts by announcing the completion of its analysis of the rift, granting Bashir a (temporary) reprieve.The emissions patterns of the rift match that of a similar anomaly that appeared several hundred years ago in another region of space. This earlier rift was responsible for the destruction of an entire star system. A probe is launched to study the space rift, while Sisko reports that over half of the stations residents have been experiencing manifestations. OBrien is tending to his duties when Rumplestiltskin appears, offering his help and getting in the way.OBrien tries to ignore the bothersome dwarf, and Rumplestiltskin cautions him not to be too hasty to refuse his help. He accuses OBrien of being afraid of him, which the Ops Chief angrily denies.The dwarf continues to harass OBrien, who refuses to respond, until Rumplestiltskin makes a veiled threat to Molly. OBrien angrily turns on the little man, who vanishes, leaving a worried OBrien behind. The probes scans show nothing unusual, which strikes the staff as strange. They call up a visual of the rift, and see that it has begun to draw the matter of the Denorios Belt into itself. Sisko heads off to another part of the station, and encounters Buck Bokai on the way. Bokai tries to interest him in some baseball, but Sisko repeats that Bokai is only a hologram and the only baseball _eld on the station is a hologram too. Bokai tries to get Sisko interested in him, and manages to involve him in a discussion of Bokais statistics and his weaknesses as a ballplayer. You were the best that every played, says Sisko. I know; Ive played with them all. It really meant a lot to me, how much you cared, says Bokai.I guess I thought you should know_just in case I do _nally disappear. Elsewhere on the station, the three apparitionsBokai, Rumplestiltskin, and the alter-Daxare meeting among themselves.We dont know any more than when we started, grumbles the dwarf.Rumplestiltskin and the alter-Dax are at a loss to explain their creators reactions to them, and the dwarf suggests abandoning the project. Bokai protests, saying he thinks he has made a connection with Sisko. Sisko seems to have genuine affection for someone he never really met, a ballplayer who died two hundred years before Sisko was born. The staff confer in Siskos of_ce about the subspace rift. It is continuing to expand, and they have no good idea how to stop it. Dax says that a Vulcan ship attempted to close the previous rift by detonating a pulsed-wave torpedo within it; the explosion caused the rupture to expand rapidly, destroying both the ship and the nearby star system. After that, the rupture reached a critical mass point, imploded, and disappeared. Sisko asks if the Vulcan crew experienced hallucinations while near the rift; they didnt, but they werent there for that long and Vulcans arent very imaginative to begin with.There is no indication of what the cause of the earlier subspace rift might have been, and there was neither a wormhole nor a great deal of starship traf_c near the area where it appeared. OBrien says that he thinks the pulsed-wave torpedo approach is still the best way to go; when Kira objects, he says that the technology has improved a great deal since the Vulcans tried it. Kira says that if it doesnt work, the entire system of Bajor will be destroyed; Sisko says that if they dont close the rift, the system will be destroyed anyway. Sisko orders OBrien to go to work on the torpedo, and tells Kira to organize an evacuation of the pylons. Kira calls for help from Odo, but the Security Chief is too busy herding Goonjee Jackdaws through the station to give her a hand.Kira steps out of the lift in one of the pylons, and looks up to see a huge _reball racing down the corridor toward her. The blast knocks her into the wall of the lift, and she yells into her comm badge that Pylon One is already gone. She hears someone screaming, and looks up to see a man, engulfed in _ames, running toward her; she ducks down in the lift, trying to ward off the _aming _gurebut it vanishes just before reaching her. Sisko calls in from Ops, demanding an explanation, and Kira looks up to see the corridor in front of her, undamaged. Shaken, she tells Sisko to disregard her call. On the promenade, Quark approaches a busy Odo, who is struggling to maintain order. Quark wants Odo to go look for his two beauteous companions, who have disappeared; Odo is not inclined to help. The two birds that Odo has been chasing abruptly disappear, and Quarks two ladies reappear, to Odos disapproval. Quark accuses the shapeshifter of having no imagination, and walks off with the products of his own. Odo enters the security of_ce, and begins checking readouts, when he notices that one of his viewscreens shows Quark safely ensconced in the brig. Odo demands to know how Quark got in there; Quark replies, You put me in here! Odo stares at him a moment, then smiles slightly. I guess I did, didnt I? No imagination, indeed. Hah. In the Sisko quarters, Jake is working on his homework when Bokai appears and tries to convince him to go play ball. Jake says his dad will kill him if he goes to play before _nishing his homework, and a duplicate Sisko appears. Jake tries out his excuses on the alter-Sisko, who doesnt accept them, and Jake resigns himself to doing his homework. Bokai vanishes.Up in Ops, Dax reports to Sisko that the rift is widening at an ever-increasing rate. He suggest moving the station, but she says that if the rift implodes, the shockwave will overtake them anyway.They decide to proceed with the pulsed-wave torpedo. Sisko calls up the rift on the viewscreen, and it appears: a ragged gap in the sky with plasma swirling into it. The staff regard the anomaly gravely, as one by one the three apparitions appear beside their creators, watching their reactions. Kira walks in, reporting the pylons secured and the evacuation complete. The alter-Dax comments that Bashir looks worried; he con_rms it, saying that the subspace rift could well kill everyone on the station, real or imaginary. She asks him to hold her; he is startled, but when she adds a timid Please?, he takes her in his arms. Sisko orders shields up and red alert, and the torpedo is launched into the rift and detonated. At _rst it seems to be working, but after a minute an unexpected reaction takes place, causing a subspace oscillation that shakes the station. There is an explosion from the rift, and the station rocks violently, sending personnel and furniture _ying. Lights _icker and sparks _y from the control panels as Ops goes dark. The crew scrambles to restore order and get the lighting and communications back on-line. They can no longer read anything from the rift. Elsewhere in Ops, the alter-Dax has been badly injured by the shockwave. Bashir sends Bokai for a medkit. The alter-Dax weakly apologizes to Bashir for bothering him; he tries to soothe her, telling her she wasnt bothering him, and then goes to work on her injuries. The rift is still present, and Dax cant make any sense out of the readings. OBrien reports that the torpedos effects are being neutralized by the anomaly, and its only a matter of time before it starts expanding again. Sisko calls for suggestions, but gets only silence in reply. Then Rumplestiltskin speaks up, saying, Maybe I could help. He tells OBrien that OBrien created him with powers beyond those of normal men, powers that he would be happy to use to help them_for a price. The dwarf gestures, and Keiko and Molly appear in Ops. I always wanted a daughter, says Rumplestiltskin. Kira reports that the oscillations have begun again, and the station shakes. Rumplestiltskin says he can seal the rift, if OBrien will meet his price. OBrien is incensed: Youre out of a storybook!A fairy tale! Are you willing to give her up to save so many others?, says Rumplestiltskin.No, says Sisko. He doesnt have to.As Rumplestiltskin and his senior staff stare at him, Sisko explains what he has just now realized: the subspace rift was only detected *after* Dax speculated that it might exist. And once she learned that such a rift had in fact existed at one time, the entire staff began to believe that that was the explanation. He orders the shields down, saying, There *is* no rupture. There is no threat to the station or the system. He again orders the shields down, telling OBrien that he has to *believe* that everything will be _ne. Sisko asks Kira if shes still picking up shockwaves; she responds af_rmatively, and he corrects herNo, youre not. Youre not picking up anything at all. The vibrations suddenly cease, and Kira corrects herselfNone at all.Bokai and Rumplestiltskin vanish. Dax reports everything normal, as outside the station the subspace rift also vanishes.Bashir tells the alter-Dax that shes going to be _ne, and she smiles and replies, Of course I am. I have the best doctor in the galaxy. She then vanishes, leaving behind an unusually pensive, and slightly saddened, Dr. Bashir. Kira demands to know exactly what happened; Dax suggests that the heightened thoron _eld, which is still abnormal, might be responsible. Sisko encourages her to continue her investigations, but without speculating this time. He then orders OBrien to take his family home, and heads to his own of_ce, where he sits quietly for a few moments. Bokai appears before him, and Sisko says, Youre not just a _gment of my imagination, are you? Bokai admits as much, saying that he and his people are on an extended mission of exploration in the galaxy; they followed a ship through the wormhole and chose this method for studying the people they found on the other side. They were wary of simply opening communications before learning about the stations residents, for fear of not being well received.Sisko asks why it was necessary to endanger the station, and Bokai says that they didnt do that, the crews own imaginations did. Bokai tells Sisko that the imagination possessed by his people is a valuable gift, a remarkable thing that allows them to feel affection for a person they dont even know. He then prepares to take his leave of the station. Sisko protests that they havent learned anything about Bokais people, and Bokai says, Maybe next year. He tosses the baseball to Sisko, and vanishes. tc "The Forsaken"The ForsakenEpisode Number: 417Air Date: 5/22/93

As the show opens, Sisko comments into his station log that a group of Federation ambassadors has arrived on DS9 on a fact-_nding expedition to learn about the wormhole. The of_cer assigned to shepherd the ambassadors around the station turns out to be Dr.Bashir, who is seated in Quarks surrounded by his charges. The young doctor, looking harried, is attempting to keep the ambassadors happy, but with little success; they appear to be more interested in complaining than in learning anything about the wormhole they have come to investigate. One of the ambassadors expresses a desire to speak with Cmdr. Sisko, and Bashir offers only weak and unconvincing excuses for his inability to arrange such a meeting. The female ambassador, Ambassador Taxco, is deeply offended that a mere _rst-year of_cer has been assigned as their escort.The ambassadorial gripe session is interrupted by a shriek of outrage from the nearby Dabo table. Bashir heads over to see what the problem is, and discovers a highly irate Ambassador Lwaxana Troi, sporting a bright pink coiffure, shouting that a latinum hair brooch has been stolen from her. She assaults Quark, grabbing him by the ear, demanding that he return her possession. Hearing the ruckus, Odo comes over to intervene. He states that Quark does not usually participate in *petty* larceny, and suggests Lwaxana use her telepathy to scan the room for the guilty party. Lwaxana is unable to locate the offender, and concludes that it must be a Ferengi since Betazoids cant read Ferengi minds. Odo stalks through the room, and after a moment collars a short individual of a race bearing a certain resemblance to the Ferengi. He shakes down his captive, discovering that he has an assortment of items in his possession which dont appear to be his, including Lwaxanas missing hair brooch. Odo identi_es the individual as a Daktarian, a race closely related to the Ferengi and therefore also immune to Lwaxanas abilities. Lwaxana is very impressed with Odos handling of the situation and his deductive reasoning, and as Odo hauls his prisoner off to the security of_ce, she requests of Bashir that he tell her *everything* he knows about Odo.Up in Ops, Chief OBrien is trying to deal with the routine maintenance of the station, but is having dif_culty with the balky and argumentative main computer. As OBrien and his Bajoran assistant, Anara, struggle with the uncooperative machine, Sisko enters, just in time to bear the brunt of a tirade from OBrien about the worthlessness of the Cardassian computer. OBrien states his intention to rebuild the device from the ground up, even if it takes years; Sisko is dubious, but OBrien insists and Sisko gives in.Bashir arrives with his three charges, saying they insisted on being shown to Ops. Sisko is clearly less than thrilled to have to deal with the ambassadors, but he puts on a bright smile for them nonetheless. The VIPs proceed to complain to Sisko about Bashir and their accommodations, appearing inclined to continue for quite a while; they are interrupted, however, by Kira stating that an unidenti_ed ship has come through the wormhole. Dax scans it and states that it has no lifeforms aboard, and is therefore probably a probe. The design is unrecognizable and the probe is unusually densely packed with computer equipment. Sisko orders the probe towed in close to the station, and tells OBrien to try to connect up to the probes computer systems and download any information that might be stored in them. Bashir tries to chivvy the ambassadors out of Ops, but the Bolian ambassador makes a fuss, asking to stay and see what comes of the investigation of the probe. Sisko suggests to Bashir that he take the ambassadors elsewhere on the station where they can get a good view of the probe itself. Odo is at work in his security of_ce when Lwaxana Troi comes to the door, her hair now a brilliant red. She endeavors to make conversation with Odo, and her manner is _attering and more than a tri_e suggestive. Her style makes Odo very uncomfortable, even more so when she confesses to having lost her heart to him and proceeds to make advances that culminate in an attempt to get the _ustered Security Chief into a clinch. Odo, close to panic, makes a very feeble excuse, then _ees the security of_ce and, more to the point, the woman within.Up in Ops, Dax and OBrien have succeeded in getting a linkup with the probes computer systems, to OBriens considerable surprise. The stations computer is being unusually cooperative. Dax begins to analyze the data from the probe.Odo goes to see Sisko in his of_ce. He tells the commander about Lwaxanas attitude and actions, to Siskos amusement. Odo is confused and put off by Lwaxanas aggressive advances, but a not very sympathetic Sisko suggests that a little romance might do Odo some good. Odo expresses disdain for humanoid procreation rituals, which are all irrelevant to him anyway, and asks Sisko to make Lwaxana leave him alone. Sisko says, You can handle thieves and killers, but not one Betazoid woman? Odo replies, I *understand* thieves and killers. I dont understand_*her*. Outside in Ops, OBrien is still checking out the probe with help from Dax and Anara, the Bajoran assistant. The probe is strangely designed; it has no real equipment beyond the computer hardware, and nothing to give any hint of its mission or origins. Up on the Promenade, a now peroxide-blonde Lwaxana corners Odo near a turbolift with an invitation to join her for a picnic in the holosuites. Odo is horri_ed at the thought that she told Quark she was taking Odo into a holosuite, and tries to escape to his duties, but Lwaxana sticks to him like glue, following him into the turbolift.She continues to press her picnic plans upon the hapless shapeshifter, who protests, but to no avail: Every sixteen hours I turn into a liquid! Not in the least deterred, Lwaxana replies, I can swim. In mid-conversation, the power in the turbolift suddenly fails, leaving the pair trapped within, to Odos dismay. He calls Ops, and is informed that the turbolift power has failed. The staff in Ops try to transport them out, but the transporters are off-line as well. OBrien is called to Ops to deal with the problem, as in the turbolift Lwaxana exclaims, Alone at last! Odo reacts to this with something resembling sheer terror. Up in Ops, the staff is unable to _nd anything wrong with either the turbolift or the transporter, except for the fact that they arent working. OBrien suggests a possible power rerouting, but is unsure how long the procedure will take to complete. Kira calls Odo and tells him not to try to shift out of the turbolift; there are exposed circuit coils in the walls which could be dangerous to him. Lwaxana suggests to Odo that they pass the time by getting to know each other better, but Odo tells her hed rather pass the time quietly. Lwaxana tries to comply, but after a few moments gives up and confesses that she doesnt think she could stand to be silent while waiting for rescue. She begins to relate tales of her previous adventures to Odo, who endures in silence. After a few minutes of her chatter, however, she notices him gazing about at the walls of the turbolift. When she asks him what hes doing, he replies, I was just wondering how many volts are in that exposed circuit coil_ In Siskos of_ce, the commander is trying to buck up an exasperated Bashir who is fed up with his current assignment. Sisko says, Its a simple job. Just keep them happyand away from me. Bashir protests loudly and theatrically that keeping them happy is _at-out impossible, which gets a laugh from Sisko. Sisko tells Bashir that when he served under Curzon Dax, Curzon used to delight in sticking him with the job of dealing with troublesome VIPs; Bashir astutely deduces that Sisko is doing the same to him, and Sisko, completely unrepentant, agrees. Bashir asks how Sisko managed to stop getting such assignments, and Sisko tells him it ended when he punched out one of the VIPs. Sisko suggests, however, that Bashir not hit any of the ambassadors, as Sisko is not as understanding as Curzon was. OBrien calls Sisko over to tell him that the computer is behaving very strangely. It wont power up the turbolift, but aside from that it is being far more cooperative and helpful than is its usual wont. In effect, its whole personality has changed. And OBrien has noticed something else that seems too odd to be a coincidence; each time he leaves the computer, something else goes wrong on the station that calls him back to it. Its almost like the computer doesnt want me to leave it alone.Sisko, OBrien, Kira, and Dax confer about the problem. Dax suggests that perhaps they uploaded some sort of unsentient, non-organic life form from the probe when they downloaded its data; Kira suggests that it might be analogous to a stray puppy that has attached itself to OBrien. Sisko orders OBrien to get rid of the thing, whatever it is, before it causes serious trouble on the station, and OBrien says hell try simply uploading the probes data back into the probe. Sisko comments to Kira that Odos been trapped in the lift for over four hours, and wonders about the cycle of his regenerations. Kira is worried about what may happen if Odo lique_es without his bucket around. OBrien tries to upload the probe sequences from DS9 into the probe, but the station computer refuses to complete the command. When OBrien tries to force the issue, all the lights on the station go out. Down on the Promenade, a weary Bashir is riding herd on the ambassadors, who have seized on the power outage as a new excuse to complain, and to question OBriens competence. Bashir defends the Ops Chief, and suggests that the ambassadors wait out the problem in their quarters. In the turbolift, Lwaxana is trying to draw Odo into a conversation about himself. The shapeshifter is starting to look rather waxy and physically uncomfortable. Reluctantly, Odo tells Lwaxana about the scientist who was assigned to study him when he _rst arrived on Bajor; Lwaxana comments that it sounds like a lonely existence. Odo, uneasy, tries to call Ops again but the comm is still down. Lwaxana continues to encourage him to talk about himself, and he opens up a little, telling her that in his early years he tried to make a place for himself on Bajor by being entertainingdoing shifting tricks at parties and so on. He concludes, I hate parties. Lwaxana tells him he should come to one of her parties sometime, and shell have the other guests entertain him instead. Odo doesnt reply, and after a moment he groans as if in pain. Concerned, Lwaxana asks him whats wrong, and he says that hes in the _fteenth hour of his sixteen-hour cycle.Up in Ops, OBrien is planning to manually transfer the probe data out of the station computer. To distract the invading lifeform, the assembled staff start asking for various complicated analyses, while Anara pulls the memory rods out of the computer. The computers begins to malfunction, and suddenly the control panel erupts in a _are of sparks. Dax calls out that shes reading a plasma buildup in the habitat ring. Down in the habitat ring, Bashir is escorting the ambassadors to their quarters when, without warning, the hallway in front of them erupts in a huge _reball. The corridors emergency bulkheads slam down, trapping the four of them inside with the _ames. In Ops, OBrien yells that the _re suppression units in the habitat ring arent functioning. Sisko calls for an emergency _re crew to head to the site of the accident, as he and Kira make for the turbolift. In the smoke-_lled corridor, Bashir attempts to get the seal open, but neither the electronic controls nor the manual override are functioning. He pounds helplessly on the door as the _ames close in. Kira and Sisko have reached one of the corridor seals. Theytry to cut their way in with phasers, but the material of the blast door is too tough and it does not give way. Sisko tells OBrien that if he cant get the _re control systems on-line, the people trapped inside will die.Up in Ops, OBrien is failing to get any reaction out of the disabled computer. Dax suggests that the main problem is that the invader doesnt want to leave; its acting like a scared puppy. OBrien recalls owning a puppy at one time, and comments that the animal craved attention and was unlike to leave any location where it was getting what it wanted. Lieutenant, says OBrien, Ive got to build a doghouse. In the frozen turbolift, Odo has turned his back on Lwaxana. He tries to call Ops again, his voice gone raspy and indistinct, but gets no reply. He tells Lwaxana that no one has ever seen him like this before; she tells him he doesnt need to be ashamed, and he replies that its not shame, just a matter of privacy. How can I make it easier for you? she asks. You cant, Odo tells her.Instead of replying, Lwaxana pulls off her bright yellow wig, revealing the short brown real hair beneath. No ones ever seen *me* like this, she says. Odo turns around, so that she can see his features melting and _owing like wax. He tells her that her hair looks _ne, but she replies that its ordinaryand she doesnt like to be ordinary. You are not at all what I expected, says Odo, and she replies, No ones ever paid me a greater compliment. Odo starts to lose control of his form, and Lwaxana says, Let go. Ill take care of you. He melts and _ows, and she catches his liquid form up in her skirt, sheltering him. Back near the burning corridor, Sisko and Kira have a crew working on cutting through the blast doorbut they are preparing for the worst. Up in Ops, OBrien has created a computer subroutine called Pup, designed to be a monitor program that can watch all the activities of the stations computer. He then tries to transfer the probes computer entity into his subroutineand is successful. The stations main computer comes back on line, and OBrien tells Sisko to try opening the blast door. Sisko does so, and the door opens, revealing a charred and smoking hallway beyond. There is no sound or motion from within. It appears that they have arrived too late. Suddenly, a hatch door is kicked open at _oor level, and a grimy but uninjured Bashir crawls out, getting a hand up from Sisko. He is followed by the three ambassadors, all intact, and all effusive in their praise for the young of_cers actions during the crisis. Sisko compliments Bashir on his work, and the doctor replies, with an uncharacteristic lack of arrogance, Just in the right place at the right time, sir.Lwaxana and Odo have _nally been released from the turbolift, with Odo restored to his humanoid form. I know that wasnt exactly what you had in mind for your picnic, says Odo. When it comes to picnics, says Lwaxana, the only thing that really matters is the company. Odo tells her that he appreciates her sensitivity and discretion, and she replies, Oh? Next time you see me, Ill give you a lot more to appreciate.Up in Ops, Sisko asks OBrien how he got the computer working again, and OBrien explains that he adopted the invading program by giving it a special subroutine as its home. Sisko is unsure that this is a wise idea, but Dax says it should be considered just another new lifeform to be studied. OBrien says that hell be responsible for taking care of it, and Sisko responds wryly, Keep it off the furniture. tc "Dramatis Personae"Dramatis Personae Episode Number: 418Air Date: 5/29/93

As the episode opens, Cmdr. Sisko and Major Kira are in Siskos of_ce, having an administrative dispute about a Valerian transport ship which is requesting permission to dock at DS9. Kira proposes to deny their request, as the Valerians have a long history of shipping weaponry to the Cardassians, and are likely still doing so. Sisko, however, is unwilling to bar the Valerians from the station without proof of wrongdoing. Kira suspects the ship of carrying dolamide, a mineral which can be used for producing armaments, and wants to forcibly search the vessel to prove her suspicions, but Sisko points out that even _nding dolamide on the ship is not proof of arms-running, as dolamide has peaceful uses as well. They have no reasonable excuse for boarding and searching the ship. The commander tells Kira that if she brings him proof that the Valerians are shipping weapons-grade dolamide, he will get the Federation to put diplomatic pressure on the Valerians to bring an end to the trade. Kira is unconvinced that this will be suf_cient, but she agrees to follow Siskos directionsfor the time being.In Ops, its business as usual. Odo enters and Kira asks him for a report on the captain of the Valerian ship, which he provides. Dax comments that something is coming through the wormhole, and summons Sisko to Ops. The new arrival is the Klingon ship Tokaht, which is not due back from the Gamma Quadrant for another month. Sisko orders hailing frequencies opened, but just as he does so the vessel explodes in a huge _reball. OBrien reports an incoming transport signal that left the ship just before it was destroyed, and begins trying to bring the transportee aboard the station. Something is interfering with the transporter, however, and OBrien and Dax have to do some quick technical work before the transport is successfully completed. A Klingon of_cer materializes in Ops, and immediately collapses. Bashir rushes to the fallen Klingons aid, reporting that the new arrival has been hit by weapon _re and is seriously injured.With his dying breath, the Klingon gasps Victory!, and expires. A staff conference is held to discuss these strange and violent events. The Tokaht was supposed to be on a routine bioresearch mission to the Gamma Quadrant, which does not seem to _t with the dead Klingons injuries or his _nal word. Odo comments that the ship stopped at the station before going through the wormhole, and Sisko asks him to _nd out if anyone heard them saying anything about their mission. The commanders also directs OBrien and Dax to take a runabout out to try and retrieve the mission recorder from the Klingon ship so they can _nd out why it exploded. Everyone heads off to their tasks except Dax, who sits at her station, looking bemused, with a rather vacant smile on her face. As OBrien calls her to the turbolift, she giggles for no apparent reason, then gets up and joins the Ops Chief.At Kiras station, the Bajoran Major receives a call from the Valerian transport requesting docking permission. Kira refuses to give it, citing some unspeci_c delay, to the displeasure of the Valerian captain. Sisko walks in on the conversation, and is displeased with Kira for stalling the vessels arrival. Kira insists that the behavior of the ship is highly suspicious; they were making the same stops in the same order that they used to make when they were shipping weapons. Sisko is not impressed and personally clears the Valerian ship for docking, to Kiras exasperation. Odo goes to questions Quark about the Klingons earlier layover at the station. Quark is not appreciative of Klingon business; although they are big spenders, they damage they made to his holosuites ate up nearly all of the pro_ts. Quark says that the Klingons talked about their glorious mission; when Odo presses him for details, Quark realizes hes being pumped and starts to be dif_cult. He and Odo haggle over Quarks information, until Odo threatens to divert the work crew assigned to repair Quarks holosuites for Odos own needs, which convinces Quark to be more helpful. Quark states that the Klingons were talking about coming back through the wormhole with something that would make the enemies of the Klingon Empire tremble. As Odo, satis_ed, leaves Quarks, he suddenly spasms in pain, staggering and groaning as if in agony. Quark watches in alarm as the shapeshifters head wavers, thenmorphs out of control, and Odo slumps to the ground, unconscious. Quark charges from the bar yelling for Bashir.Odo awakens in the in_rmary with no memory of what caused his collapse. Bashir is baf_ed as well; his instruments cant make anything out of Odos strange body chemistry. Odo, apparently recovered, excuses himself and starts to head out of the room, but Bashir calls him back. The doctor attempts to engage the security chief in a seemingly gratuitous discussion about the Valerian ship and the tension it is causing between Kira and Sisko; he implies that the Federation/Bajoran alliance on the station is in danger of dissolving, and wants to know which side Odo supports. Odo is more than a little puzzled by this unexpected conversation, and asks Bashir why he thinks there is a problem; the doctor reacts oddly, insinuating that Odo is playing some kind of political waiting game. Odo, now seriously perplexed, again excuses himself, with a dubious backward glance at Bashir.In Ops, Kira walks into Siskos of_ce, _nding him at work on some sort of drawing which he does not wish her to see. Kira states that she has examined the Valerian ships itinerary, and concluded that they *must* be carrying weapons-grade dolamide. She wants to forcibly board the vessel and seize their cargo. Sisko refuses to allow it, and the confrontation becomes very tense, and ends inconclusively as Kira walks out of the of_ce. Dax and OBrien, in a Runabout, search for the Klingon ships mission recorder. OBrien begins to question the strength of the Federation/Bajoran alliance, much in the same way Bashir did, and asks whether Daxs loyalty is to Sisko or Kira. Dax appears to be having a hard time focussing on the conversation; she keeps drifting off into nostalgic reveries of former times. OBrien ends the conversation by stating his own unswerving loyalty to Cmdr. Sisko, just as the mission recorder is located. Kira enters the Security Of_ce, and approaches Odo in an uncharacteristic fashion, her manner _attering and manipulative. She tries to talk Odo into using his shifting abilities to sneak aboard the Valerian ship and determine what their cargo is; Odo is reluctant, recalling Siskos order of non-interference. It becomes clear that Kira is doing this on her own initiative, without Siskos permission or knowledge, and Odo, stunned, refuses. Kira withdraws her request, but warns Odo that he should remember who his friends are. She departs, leaving a very disturbed Odo behind.OBrien dictates his station log, stating that theyve managed to access some of the recorded logs from the Tokaht. He comments that Kira became aware of this almost immediatelyShe must have spies everywhere. In Ops, the staff listen to the badly distorted recording from the Klingon ship. Commander Sisko seems monumentally uninterested in the proceedings. Only a few words on the tape can be understood spies, executions, energy spheres, and medical of_cer. Kira suggests that the Klingons mission may have failed, and the failure caused problems aboard the ship, but Sisko appears not to care.OBrien says he and Dax have started working on an interpolation program to let them understand the rest of the tape, and Dax begins to wander off on another verbal tangent in a dreamy voice. Sisko cuts her off with a request that he not be bothered, and goes to his of_ce. Odo witnesses all of this in growing apprehension.In Quarks, Quark presents Dax with a colorful drink as Kira enters and sits down next to the science of_cer. The Major orders Quark to go away, and then asks Dax if she would call Star_eet and lodge a complaint about Siskos handling of the Valerian matter. Dax is distracted and bemused, her conversation disjointed and wandering.Kira throws subtlety to the winds and tells Dax she plans to get rid of Sisko, one way or another, and suggests to Dax that Dax not force her to do the same thing to Dax herself. There is a loud clatter from nearby, and Kira looks up to see a shocked Quark picking up pieces of a dropped bottle. Kira grabs the evesdropping Ferengi by his lapels and demands to know what he overheard; he claims to have heard nothing. Kira throws him into the wall in back of the bar and strides out. Later, Quark walks into the Security Of_ce wearing a neck brace, and complains loudly to Odo that Kira attacked him. Odo presses him for details, and Quark reports Kiras attempt to suborn Daxs loyalties. Odo asks whether or not she succeeded, and Quark says that Dax appears undecided. Odo realizes that matters have gotten out of hand and are rapidly getting worse.As Odo enters Ops, the tape from the Klingon ship is playing on the main viewscreen, watched by a spaced-out Dax. The of_cer is saying something about getting control of the ship. Odo heads to Siskos of_ce, only to discover OBrien sitting in the commanders seat, also listening to the Klingon tape. On it, the _rst of_cer states that he has hidden some sort of device near the reactor core of the ship and plans to destroy the vessel and transport to safety. He says something about the medical of_cer being right about the energy spheres, but _nishes by saying The captain must die!. Odo comments that there was obviously a power struggle on the Klingon ship, which OBrien doesnt _nd out of the ordinary for Klingons. Odo points out that its out of the ordinary for the Federation, however, and OBrien replies that hes ready for anything Kira might try.OBrien gives Odo access to the Klingon logs, saying, Dont the Commander and I always try to make you happy?Odo goes to Siskos quarters and _nds two Federation security men on guard at the door, posted by OBrien. Sisko is inside, working on his mysterious drawing. Odo con_des his worries about the crews strange behavior and the alarming parallels to the situation on board the Klingon ship to Sisko, but Sisko isnt at all interested, and tells him to take it up with OBrien. He then shows his completed drawing to Odo, proudly telling the security chief that Its a clock!. Odo returns to his security of_ce to _nd Kira draped suggestively over his chair. Kira tells him shes locked the docking clamps on the Valerian ship; it will take OBrien a day to _x them, And by then, it wont matter. Odo confronts her about her intentions, and she states that she is planning to take out Sisko and OBrien so that the station can get a more suitable commander, one more easily controlled. That way, Kira will run the station. She tells Odo that with her in command, Odo will be allowed to do whatever he sees _t to keep the station safe, without having to justify his actions to any authority. He asks what her plans are, but she wont tell him more than When the time comes, youll know it; and Ill be counting on you. After she leaves, Odo tries to contact both Star_eet HQ and the Bajoran High Council, but discovers that communications have been cut by Kira and OBrien, respectively. He listens to the now-completed journal of the Tokahts _rst of_cer, and hears the Klingon describing a discovery made while looking for a suitable site for a Klingon colony. Apparently the landing party found a set of energy spheres containing a telepathic archive of a race called the Saltahna which destroyed itself in a massive civil war. In Siskos of_ce, the commander is assembling his clock as OBrien describes how Kira is taking control of the stations systems. OBrien fears an assassination attempt by Kira on Sisko, and Sisko wants to arrest her and her cronies; OBrien points out that the Federation people are outnumbered on the station, and counsels that the two of them leave on the Valerian ship. The Ops Chief has already made arrangements with the Valerians; he plans to leave the station, raise a Federation task force, and return. Sisko agrees.Odo enters the in_rmary, and _nds Bashir giving a small device to a supposedly insomniac Bajoran which is supposed to help him sleep. Odo wants information about the autopsy on the dead Klingon, but Bashir would rather talk station politics. He cautions Odo that he should choose a side before he winds up without any friends at all.Odo loses patience and grabs the doctor, slamming him into the wall with a demand for information on the Klingon; he then says, in a suggestive manner, that Bashirs information could determine the outcome of the power-struggle on the station. This catches Bashirs attention, and he tells Odo that the only odd thing he found was a change in some of the Klingons brain cells, which could have been caused by any of a number of things. Odo suggests a telepathy matrix, and explains about the Saltahna archives the Klingons found. He suggests that the matrix might have come aboard with the Klingon and affected everyone in Ops except for himself, since he does not have a humanoid brain. Bashir is unconvincedafter all, *he* isnt behaving any differently than normal. Odo plays along, saying, But what if you and I are the only two unaffected? The security chief manages to convince Bashir that _nding a way to counteract the telepathic matrix will put the two of them in a controlling position on the station, and the doctor, convinced, goes to work on _guring out how to do it. In Ops, Sisko asks OBrien how much longer and is told hell be ready in a few minutes. Sisko is approached by a Bajoran with a report; the Bajoran, who is the same one who was consulting with Bashir in the in_rmary, is very insistent, and when Sisko turns to look at the padd the Bajoran attempts to use Bashirs device on the commander. OBrien warns Sisko with a shout, and Sisko savagely attacks the Bajoran. Dax calls for Kira, and OBrien backhands her, knocking her down. Siskos vicious assault on the Bajoran is halted when Kira arrives in Ops, phaser drawn, with more Bajoran guards.OBrien hits his control panel and he and Sisko beam out. Kira chides Dax for not sabotaging the transporter as directed.Sisko and OBrien materialize in a corridor, and OBrien says that Kira must have erected a force_eld to keep them from getting to the Valerian ship; the transporter must have bounced them to this location. OBrien suggests calling Odo to get him to clear them a path to the ship by overriding the force_elds; Sisko is unsure Odo can be trusted, but they have little choice. They call Odo in the in_rmary, and he immediately gives them directions on how to get to Docking Port Four, which he will keep open. Sisko and OBrien drop their commbadges on the _oor and run.In Ops, Kira and Dax notice the elimination of the force_elds, and are not fooled by the dropped commbadges. Kira calls Odo to accuse him of helping Sisko escape, but Odo calmly replies that he has only led Sisko to a dead end so that Kira could capture him easily. Kira is pleased, and Bashir compliments Odo on his duplicity.Odo demands to know how his neutralization project is proceeding, and Bashir says hes just _nishing it. Odo taps on the control panel brie_y, and then he and Bashir head for Docking Port Four.Sisko and OBrien arrive at their destination only to discover that the last door is still sealed. OBrien tries to override it manually but discovers that its been completely shut down, something possible only for Sisko himselfor Odo. Kira and Dax walk in behind them, accompanied by Bajoran guards; Kira levels a phaser at Sisko. Sisko berates Kira for her ingratitude as Kira gloats over her enemy. Odo and Bashir walk in upon this confrontation, and Odo immediately tells the computer to run program Odo-One. A shrill vibration _lls the room, and the crew clutch their heads in agony as a strange glow appears above each of them. The individual glows coalesce into one, as Odo yells for everyone to grab something solid.The crew, confused, does so, and Odo opens the docking bay door upon empty space. The air in the bay rushes out into the void, carrying the glowing _eld with it. Odo quickly reseals the room and restores the atmosphere, saying, Welcome back, everybody. Later, Sisko comments into his station log that the telepathic matrix has dispersed, and everything else on DS9 has returned to normal. Kira comes to see Sisko in his of_ce, where the commander sits staring at the clock he built in puzzlement. Kira apologizes for her attempted mutiny, even though no one was responsible for their actions while under the in_uence of the telepathic matrix. Sisko replies, Well forget about it. This one time. tc "Duet"Duet Episode Number: 419Air Date: 6/12/93

The show opens with business as usual in the Ops center of Deep Space Nine. Dax and Kira chat idly about their escapades as children while attending to their duties. A communication is received from an incoming Kobheerian freighter; the ship is carrying a passenger in need of medical attention. The Kobheerian captain states that the individual suffers from a chronic condition called Kalla-Nohra Syndrome, and has run out of his medication. Kira reacts oddly when the disorder is named; not only does DS9s First Of_cer recognize it, but it seems to hold some unexplained meaning for her, one with strong feelings attached. Sisko has the ailing passenger beamed directly to the in_rmary as Dax alerts Bashir to the problem. Kira asks Sisko for permission to go down to the in_rmary to meet the patient. She informs him that anyone suffering from Kalla-Nohra syndrome can have contracted it in only one way: by having been present for a mining accident in a forced-labor camp the Cardassians maintained during the Bajoran occupation, a place called Gallitepp. This camp, and the Bajorans who survived it, has become an important symbol to the Bajoran peopleand an even more important one to Kira herself. Kira arrives at the in_rmary while Bashir is in the process of tending to his new patient. But when Kira sees that the individual on the examining table is Cardassian, not Bajoran, her attitude of awed respect vanishes, to be replaced by emotions far more unpleasant. She stares at the Cardassian with loathing in her eyes, and summons Security to the in_rmary.The Cardassian stares back at Kira as Bashir, puzzled, asks her what the problem is. She tells him _atly that his patient is a criminal, at which the Cardassian jumps down from the table and runs out the doorright into the arms of Odo and one of his deputies. Kira and Bashir follow the Cardassian out into the hall, where Kira demands his arrest. The Bajoran Major and the Cardassian face off, as the accused asks what charge is being held against him, implying that Kira is engaging in simple racial persecution.Kira replies by calling him a war criminal, and tells Bashir that if he wants to treat the Cardassian, hell have to do it in his jail cell. Kira and Odo go to bring the matter to Siskos attention.Odo states that in spite of Kiras certainty, the Cardassian, whose name is Amon Marritza, is not listed by the Bajoran government as a war criminal.Sisko is distressed by this; in order to hold Marritza, something more than Kiras suspicions is required as evidence. Kira insists that if the Cardassian has Kalla-Nohra, he *must* have been at Gallitepp, to which Sisko replies that simply being there isnt necessarily a crime. This infuriates Kira, who bitterly describes the horrors of the Gallitepp camp that she witnessed when she helped liberate it. She seems inclined to hold every Cardassian present at Gallitepp responsible for every atrocity ever committed there.Sisko decides to go talk to the prisoner himself.Sisko politely questions Marritza in the security holding cell; Marritzas replies are civil, but with an audible edge of condescension.Marritza claims that his disorder is not Kalla-Nohra syndrome, but a very similar condition called Puttricks syndrome; Marritza says hes never been to Bajor. He worked as a lowly _ling clerk during the war and lives on Korra Two now. A rather seedy Bajoran, Kainon, is being held in a different cell; he breaks into Sisko and Marritzas conversation to complain loudly about being kept in the same room with one of *those*in other words, a Cardassian. In Siskos of_ce, Bashir tells the commander that despite Marritzas assertions to the contrary, the Cardassian is de_nitely suffering from Kalla-Nohra syndrome, not Puttricks, and that his research con_rms Kiras statements that the only possible way Marritza could have contracted the condition was at Gallitepp. A thoughtful Sisko dismisses Bashir as a call arrives from the Bajoran Minister of State, Kaval.Kaval praises Sisko for his service to Bajor in capturing one of the criminals of Gallitepp; Sisko cautions the minister that the question of Marritzas identity and culpability in the matter are far from settled.Kaval suggests that the responsibility for the situation should rest with Kira, not Sisko; Sisko politely but _rmly disagrees. On the Promenade, Sisko approaches Kira, who is sitting at a dining table, and tells her that he has decided to turn the investigation of Marritza over to Odoit is his job, after all. Kira protests that Minister Kaval put her in charge of the case, and once again Sisko points out that that is his decision to make, not Minister Kavals. The commander is adamant that the Cardassian will not be turned over to the Bajorans until real evidence of his guilt is discovered. He suggests that Kira is too close to the situation to be objective. Kira admits the truth of that, but pleads with Sisko, on the claim of friendship he made to her while on Jeraddo, to let her handle the matter anyway.I owe it to them, she says, referring to the victims of Gallitepp. Sisko reluctantly gives in. The major arrives at the security of_ce as Odo is releasing Kainon, the drunk and disorderly Bajoran who disrupted Siskos talk with Marritza. On his way out, Kainon requests that Odo let him know when the Cardassian hangs. Odo tells Kira that he started a background check on Marritza and found that he had in fact lived on Korra Two for the past _ve years, where he worked as an instructor in a military academy.Kira asks Odo to keep digging, and he agrees. Kiras interview with the prisoner begins with an exchange of unpleasantries, but the prisoner faces his accuser with cool self-possession.He again intimates that Kiras true motivation is a hate-driven desire to persecute all beings of his race. When Kira confronts Marritza with his lie about the nature of his disorder, the Cardassian admits to having been present at Gallitepp, but only as a lowly _ling clerk. He boasts theatrically of his prowess in his job, saying that even the camps commander, Gul Darheel, commended him on his work. Well, there you are, he says. My secrets out, my crime laid bare. I await execution. I hope we dont keep you waiting long, Kira replies.She goes on to question what a _ling clerk could possibly have taught at a military academy, and Marritza responds, Filing. Kira asks if he witnessed the atrocities at Gallitepp which took place at Gul Darheels command; Marritzas shocking reply is that no such atrocities occurred. To Kiras horri_ed disbelief, the Cardassian claims that all the deaths at Gallitepp were the result of mining accidents and _ghts among the Bajoran workers, nothing more. The brutalized bodies Kira witnessed at the time of the camps liberation had been altered after death to make it seem like there had been deliberate torture and murder of the prisoners; the pretense was intended as psychological warfare on the part of the departing Cardassian forces, a tactic designed to reinforce the Bajoran peoples view of themselves as helpless victims.Actual atrocities were not required, the Cardassian says, when manufactured ones would do just as well.Kira rejects his characterization of her people as a craven race, pointing out their eventual success at freeing themselves of the Cardassians, but Marritza dismisses that, saying that the Cardassian departure from Bajor was not due to any weak resistance from the Bajorans, but was merely a political decision. Once again, he accuses Kira of hounding him for the sake of vengeance, not justice. In Siskos of_ce, the commander has a typical discussion with Gul Dukat over the matter of their Cardassian prisoner, a conversation laced with thinly-veiled threats and hostility under a cover of civility.Gul Dukat indicates that the Cardassians are not pleased that one of their citizens is being detained without cause. Sisko sidesteps the issue and requests Dukats help in con_rming Marritzas identity. Dukat refuses, suggesting that Sisko not let Bajoran attitudes interfere with Federation/Cardassian relations, and tells Sisko that if anything happens to Marritza on the station, the Cardassians will hold Sisko personally responsible. On the Promenade, Kira is staring out an observation port, lost in thought, when Dax walks up.Dax asks Kira about her reactions to Marritza, and Kira admits that she feels a strong need to get some satisfaction from the Cardassians for what was allowed to happen at Gallitepp. Dax points out that if she gets the wrong man, it wont mean anything; and even if Marritza can be held responsible, simple vengeance isnt enough to satisfy anyone.Dax walks off, leaving a deeply shaken Kira behind. Later, in Ops, OBrien, Dax, and OBriens Bajoran assistant, Neela, have set up an image-enhancement system to analyze a picture the Cardassians sent them of the labor camp; such pictures are rare, as the Cardassians tried to destroy the evidence. Odo updates Sisko on his background investigations of Marritza, telling him that most of the Cardassians statements check out; there was a _le clerk named Amon Marritza at Gallitepp, and he did teach _ling at the military academy on Korra Two.Sisko asks Kira what shell do if the prisoner turns out to really be Amon Marritza, and Kira says shell agree to let him go. But when the picture from the camp is viewed, the individual identi_ed as Amon Marritza looks nothing like the Cardassian in the stations jail.The prisoner *does* look like a different Cardassian in the picture, however: one identi_ed in the records as Gul Darheel, commander of the camp.Kira confronts the captive in the cell. She accuses him of having killed the real Amon Marritza: Youll pay for that death. And all the others youre responsible for.I dont think I could pay for all of them, Major, he replies calmly. There were so many. And you can only execute me once.Despite Kiras continued verbal assault, Darheel remains unruf_ed, even vaguely amused. He speaks contemptuously of the Bajorans response to the Cardassian invasion, saying that they surrendered without even trying to _ght. How can he be tried for war crimes when there was never a war?He tells Kira that her view of her people as _ghters is an illusion. Kira, seething, defends her people as a peaceful race, bewildered by the casual cruelty of the Cardassian attack. Darheel offers to explain, but his explanation turns into a megalomaniacal tirade of violent intensity, in which he not only admits to the atrocities, but boasts of having ordered them, and of being proud of killing Bajoran scum. I was the best at what I did, Darheel says. My accomplishments speak for themselves. Can you say the same? You and that little Shankar resistance cell you belonged toall you did was annoy Cardassians, while I was out *exterminating* Bajorans!Youll be sentenced to death, says a grim Kira.It doesnt matter. Kill me, torture me, do whatever you wantthe dead will still be dead. Youve already lost, Major. You can never undo what Ive accomplished.Kira storms out, unable to listen to any more. The Cardassian continues to taunt her as she leaves, and once shes gone, a satis_edand not at all insaneexpression comes over his face.Odo walks into the security of_ce where Kira is sitting in silence, and hands her a drink. She tells him how Darheel bragged of what he did to the Bajorans, and how he belittled the efforts of her Shankar resistance group. Odo suggests she shouldnt be talking to Darheel about her past, and Kira replies that she didntDarheel brought it up. Odo _nds it odd that the commander of a forced labor camp should be suf_ciently knowledgeable about the Bajoran resistance forces to know of Kiras history. Kira realizes the truth in that and returns to speak with Darheel again, while Odo begins trying to trace any recent offworld inquiries about Kira. When Kira asks Darheel how he knew she was with the Shankar, he _rst tries to evade the question and distract her with more taunting, but then says he knew of her thanks to the brilliance of Amon Marritzas _ling system. Kira isnt convinced. Darheel says he wants to ask Kira some questions for a change, but Kira isnt interested; she begins to walk away, until Darheel challenges her, Are you afraid to hear them?Odo steps out of the security of_ce and _nds a number of cloaked Bajorans standing silently outside. Quark wanders up and asks who they are; Odo says that they are survivors of Gallitepp, waiting to hear about Darheels fate. Odo heads to the in_rmary and requests Bashirs assistance with his investigations. The check on inquiries about Kira revealed that two months ago, a request came in from Korra Two from one Amon Marritza; Odo asks Bashir to check on Marritzas past medical history. In the security of_ce, Odo receives a call from Gul Dukat. Dukat refuses Odos request for access to the Cardassian _les on Gul Darheel, saying that the information is irrelevant, as Gul Darheel is dead.Dukat himself attended the funeral, where Darheel was buried under one of the largest military monuments on Cardassia. Dukat wants to know why the Cardassian detainee hasnt been released yet; when Odo tells him that the man confessed to being Gul Darheel, Dukat is dumbfounded.Dukat says the man is lying, and Odo points out that if so, its a lie thats going to get the prisoner executed.When Odo tells him about the picture, Dukat decides the whole thing must be a plot to embarrass the Cardassian Empire; Odo concedes the possibility, and suggests that if Dukat will let him access the _les, he might be able to put an end to it. Dukat gives in, with poor grace. Back in the detention cell, Darheel and Kira are involved in a heated exchange about her terrorist past. He questions her about all the innocent civilian Cardassians killed by the terrorism, and she defends herself, saying they were _ghting to survive. Darheel says the Cardassians were also _ghting for survival, the survival of their Empire, which needed Bajors resources. Everything I did was for the greater glory of Cardassia. And if you spineless scum had to be ground under, all the better. Darheel claims that his love for his homeland justi_ed his actions. Nothing justi_es genocide, Kira replies. What you call genocide, says Darheel, I call a days work. Before a seething Kira can think of a reply to that, Odo comes in and asks her to come speak with him. Outside, he tells her that according to the information he and Bashir have come up with, the man in that cell *wanted* to be caught.In Siskos of_ce, Odo presents the commander with a death certi_cate for Gul Darheel, dated six years ago. Kira suspects a trick, and Sisko says he wouldnt put it past Gul Dukat. Odo then says that Gul Dukats records showed that Gul Darheel never had Kalla-Nohra syndrome, while the prisoner de_nitely does. Again, Kira suspects some Cardassian subterfuge, but Odos next bit of evidence is almost conclusive: the progress reports Gul Darheel _led from Gallitepp showed that he was off-planet at the time of the mining accident. The real Gul Darheel could not possibly have contracted Kolla-Nohra syndrome. Kira is shaken by the evidence, but clings to her belief in the prisoners guilt. Odo tells her that an inquiry into the last two weeks of the Cardassians life showed that he had resigned his teaching post and put all of his affairs in order, which would seem to indicate he did not expect to return from his trip. Furthermore, he had speci_cally booked passage on a freighter already scheduled to stop at DS9, a Bajoran stationvery strange behavior for a Cardassian war criminal, unless he planned to be caught.Kira refuses to back down, insisting that the prisoner must be sent to Bajor for trial, but Sisko will make no commitment to that. Kira desperately tells Sisko to go talk to the prisoner himself: He was there! He did it! Hell tell you about it!At that point, Dr. Bashir walks in. He reports that he has checked out Amon Marritzas previous medical history, as Odo requested, and has found something strange. Shortly after arriving on Korra Two, Marritza began taking large doses of a skin regeneration drug, usually prescribed after plastic surgery.It seems the prisoner deliberately altered his appearance to look like Gul Darheel. Kira is stunned as she realizes the truth.Kira makes one last visit to see the prisoner. Her manner is quite different this timesubdued, almost apologetic.The Cardassian tries his usual taunts, but Kira shrugs them off without comment. She asks him where he contracted Kalla-Nohra; he is startled by the question and says he got it at Gallitepp, of course. Kira tells him of the reports, and of the staffs discovery of his facial alterations; he tries to call Security and have her thrown out, but she persists with her questions, her voice rising.He tries to throw her off-balance with another vicious tirade detailing the brutality of the camp and his own pleasure in the carnage, but now Kira can see through his act. Youre Marritza, arent you? she asks.Dont you know who I am? Im your nemesis. Im your nightmare. Im the Butcher of Gallitepp.The Butcher of Gallitepp died six years ago. Youre Amon Marritza, his _ling clerk.At that, the prisonerAmon Marritzabreaks down into tears. He tells Kira how he spent every night in the camp, under his bed, with his hands over his ears to shut out the screams of the Bajoran prisoners.He despises himself for his cowardice, his inability to do anything to stop what was going on; And for that, Amon Marritza deserves to be dead. Kira reaches out and shuts off the security _eld and tells Marritza shes letting him go.She approaches as he backs away, calling for Security.Kira absolves the Cardassian, telling him he was only one man, unable to do anything even if he had tried. Marritza protests, saying that it is necessary for him to go on trial as Gul Darheel for the camp commanders crimes, in order to force Cardassia to admit its guilt.We all have to be punished.Were guilty, all of us. My death is necessary.Kira refuses to assist his guilt-driven suicide: Enough good people have already died. I wont help kill another. Later, Kira and Odo escort the released Marritza to the ship waiting to return him to Korra Two and his former life. Marritza is regretful that his subterfuge was uncovered; as Gul Darheel, his trial could have helped bring needed change to Cardassia. Kira tries to reassure him that he can still bring about change, without dying.They walk past Quarks, where Kainon, the Caradassian-hating Bajoran is sitting. As they pass, he pulls a knife from somewhere and lunges for Marritza, plunging the blade deep in the Cardassians back. Odo grabs Kainon, but too late; Marritza falls in Kiras arms.Kira bends over the fallen Cardassian, saying helplessly, Why? He wasnt Darheel. *Why*? He was Cardassian, snarls Kainon. Thats reason enough. No, says Kira. Its not. tc "In the Hands of the Prophets"In the Hands of the Prophets Episode Number: 420Air Date: 6/19/93

As the show opens, the OBriens are doing a little shopping. Chief OBrien stops to buy a Bajoran sweet, something he calls a Jumjah stick; he tries to get Keiko to try it but shes not interested. He tells Keiko he was introduced to the treat by his Bajoran assistant, Neela, and goes on to praise the womans engineering skills, causing Keiko to exhibit a jealous streak. Later, in the classroom, Keiko is teaching her students about the wormhole and whats been learned about it since it was discovered. As she talks, the door opens and an older Bajoran woman steps in, dressed in stately robes. When Keiko makes reference to the wormhole aliens, the woman interrupts her, saying, Dont you mean the Prophets? She and Keiko engage in an uncomfortable conversation, as Keiko expresses her respect for Bajoran beliefs but her unwillingness to try and include them in her curriculum. The Bajoran woman then states that what Keiko is teaching is blasphemy, and she will not allow it to continue. Elsewhere on the station, OBrien checks in with his Bajoran assistant, Neela, who has just completed a repair in exemplary fashion. OBrien opens his toolkit to get out a special tool used to close the security seal on the panel Neela was working on, but _nds it missing, to his distress.In Siskos of_ce, Keiko has brought the matter of the Bajoran womans interference in her classes to Siskos attention. Sisko is unsurprised, saying that such a confrontation was inevitable. He calls Kira in to get her opinion on the matter, and Kira tells him that the woman, Vedek Winn, has been speaking with Bajoran civilians on the station, trying to enlist their support. Winn is from an orthodox order, and has a certain amount of support to become the next Kai, though probably not enough to be successful. To Keikos astonishment, Kira also expresses support for Vedek Winns views, saying that she thinks some revision of the curriculum to include more Bajoran philosophy might be appropriate. Keiko is offended by the idea that someone else might be able to dictate what she can and cant teach; Kira suggests perhaps separate schools, one for the Bajorans and one for the Federation, might be a solution. But Sisko objects to that, saying that he doesnt want to separate Federation and Bajoran interests. Kiras reply is that in many ways Federation and Bajoran interests *are* separate. Keiko says she wont teach philosophy; Kira replies that pure science without any spiritual content might be considered a philosophy of its own. Sisko says that there is room for all philosophies on the station, and asks for suggestions on resolving the problem. Kira is not sure any solution exists.Sisko goes to speak with Vedek Winn himself, _nding her in the Bajoran temple on the station. Winn says shes honored to meet with the Emissary to the Prophets, an attitude Sisko _nds disconcerting. Winn grips his ear to read his *pagh*, and tells Sisko hes still a disbeliever; she goes on to tell him how much she misses Kai Opaka. Sisko tries to bring the topic of the conversation back to the school, and Winn says that she has received a message from the Prophets saying that Keikos teachings have dishonored the Celestial Temple, and the teacher must recant. If Keiko will not do so, Vedek Winn says she cant be held responsible for the consequences.In Ops, OBrien is still searching for his missing tool. The vanished implement is important; with it, a person can access all of the stations vital systems. Dax asks OBrien if hes seen Ensign Aquino, who failed to report for his duty shift, but OBrien hasnt. The Ops Chief goes to scan the station for tritanium residues which would help him locate the missing device, and _nds one in a power conduit. He shuts the conduit down, and he and Neela head off to go and look at the location themselves.When they arrive, they _nd a messy melted puddle of something on the _oor of the power conduit. A scan con_rms that it has tritanium in it and is almost certainly the remains of the missing tool. There are also organic molecules present, however, and OBrien collects a sample to give to Dr. Bashir for analysis. Later, in a turbolift, OBrien explains to Keiko that Aquino made a log entry saying he was going to check on an irregularity in that power conduit, so that if he came to some mishap in there, it was probably an accident that happened while he was trying to _x the problem. They go over to the Bajoran sweet vendor for another Jumjah stick, but the merchant refuses to sell to them, saying hes all out, in spite of the fact that there are some sitting on the counter right in front of him. OBrien loses his temper and grabs the mans shirt, attracting Odos attention. The merchant says he doesnt have to sell anything to the OBriens if he doesnt want to, and Keiko hustles a _ghting-mad OBrien away from the shop before he tries to punch out the merchant. As they leave, the vendor shouts after them, Seek the Prophets! A disgusted Odo walks away, muttering Seek them yourself. OBrien tells Keiko he could ask for a transfer, but Keiko is unwilling to run away from the situation. As they approach the school, they _nd Vedek Winn outside, making a speech to a crowd of Bajorans, including Keikos young pupils. Winn asks Keiko if theres a place in her school for the Prophets, and Keiko replies with a _at No. Winn suggests a compromise: instead of teaching the Bajoran philosophy of the wormhole, Keiko could simply say nothing about the wormhole at all. Keiko asks what other topics she will be forbidden to teach, and Winn sidesteps the question. Keiko angrily retorts that as a teacher it is her responsibility to give knowledge to her students, not hide it from them, and rejects Winns proposed compromise. I tried to be reasonable, says the religious leader, and walks off. The Bajorans all follow her, leaving only the Federation children behind at the school. In Ops, the staff confers about the accident that appears to have befallen Ensign Aquino. OBrien says it is plausible that the incident is only what it appears to be, but he is unsure; it would be unheard of for a Star_eet engineer to help himself to his Chiefs tools without asking. Odo suggests that it might not be an accident then, and Sisko asks the security chief to investigate the matter. Jake walks into Ops and asks to talk to his father. He tells Sisko that Keiko held class as usual, though there were only _ve students there. Jake is outraged that the Bajorans religious beliefs are causing such a problem; he calls the whole thing stupid. Sisko chides his son gently for his comments, pointing out that there is no difference between Jakes attitude toward the Bajoran beliefs and Vedek Winns attitudes toward the Federation ones. We cant afford to think that way, Jake. Wed lose everything weve worked for here. Jake asks Sisko what he intends to do, and Sisko says he doesnt knowbut hes got to _nd some help.Sisko heads down to Bajor to search for the support he needs. In a lush, beautiful garden, he meets with Vedek Bareil, another Bajoran spiritual leader. Sisko attempts to offer his ear to the Vedek, but the amused Bareil tells Sisko that he always hated that archaic ritual and would prefer to see it abolished. Sisko agrees. Sisko asks for Bareils help against Vedek Winn; Bareil and Winn hold very different orthodoxies, and Bareil is the favored candidate to become the new Kai. Sisko wants Bareil to arrange a meeting between himself and the Vedek Assembly to discuss the school issue, but Bareil gently turns him down, with the implication that the timing would be bad for his chances to become Kai. He promises to be a better friend to Sisko in the future, if he should become Kai, and walks off, leaving an unhappy Sisko behind. Back on the station, Sisko enters Ops to discover that many of their Bajoran personnel are not at their posts. Kira tells him that the missing crew said they werent feeling well and didnt report for duty. Sisko is angered, and tells Kira he cant believe the Bajorans would throw away the progress thats been made between the Federation and the Bajorans over something like this. Kira replies that they wouldnt do that, out of fear of the Cardassians, but Sisko sharply tells her that protecting Bajors borders is not the Federations primary purpose in involving itself in Bajoran affairsit is to build a working relationship between Bajor and the Federation. He suggests to Kira that the Bajorans could be trying a little harder, and Kira replies that shes giving him all the support she can, but he cuts her off with a curt, Its not enough! Sisko grimly tells Kira that the missing Bajorans had better get well in a hurry or theyll have to recover on their way to their new assignments. Odo and Bashir walk into Ops, and Bashir tells Sisko that he has identi_ed the remains as de_nitely belonging to Ensign Aquinoand furthermore, he has learned that the ensign was *not* killed by the plasma _ow in the power conduit, but by a high intensity energy discharge. Which is to say, a phaser set on kill. His death was not an accident; it was a murder.Sisko suggests that perhaps the death was related to the school issue, but Bashir says the murder took place before Vedek Winn arrived on board. No one is able to come up with an motive for the ensigns death. Odos check of the turbolift logs showed that the duty log entry which Aquino supposedly made saying he was going to check on the power conduit had been falsi_ed; according to the turbolift logs, the ensign had gone to Runabout Pad C instead. OBrien and Neela check out the Runabout on Pad C, but come up empty.Neela asks if OBrien knew the dead ensign, and OBrien says no. Neela didnt either; she comments that the Federation and Bajoran personnel dont mix much.OBrien asks her why that is, and she says she doesnt know, but she goes on to comment that OBrien is not like the othershe doesnt put on any airs. Odo goes to speak with Quark just as a group of orthodox Bajorans arrive on the station to show support for Vedek Winn. Odo asks Quark what he knows about the murder of Ensign Aquino, but Quark hasnt heard a thing.OBrien calls to Odo from the second level of the Promenade, and then shows the security chief a security bypass module OBrien found, but at Runabout Pad A, not Pad C. OBrien _nds this baf_ing, but Odo comes up with a theory: that the murdered ensign had gone to check on a security anomaly at Runabout Pad C, interrupted someone who was tampering with the Runabout, and been killed by the person he interrupted. After disposing of the body, the murderer then moved to Runabout Pad A to complete his purpose therewhatever that purpose might have been. Odo thinks someone might have wanted to steal a Runabout, except that none of them are missing.The discussion is terminated by the sound of a large explosion from elsewhere on the Promenade. Both of_cers dash toward the site of the disturbance, and discover the schoolroom has become a raging inferno. OBrien tries to run into the _ames, calling for his wife, but Odo holds him back.Keiko pushes her way through the crowd to OBriens side; she was not in the schoolroom when the explosion occurred. Crewmembers hurry to extinguish the blaze. The crew examine the wrecked remains of the schoolroom after the _re has been put out, and discover traces of two common explosives in the ruins.Apparently the blast was the result of a home-made bomb. Vedek Winn appears in the crowd outside, asking if anyone was hurt, and Sisko rounds on her angrily, accusing her of instigating the attack with her talk. He tells her she has claimed the Prophets as her personal constituency, and she retorts that he is as misguided as Vedek Bareil. She then goes on to say that no, he is not merely misguidedhe is actively evil, engaged in an attempt to destroy the Bajoran people. Sisko replies with an impassioned statement, saying that the Bajorans who have worked with the Federation aboard the station know better than that. He states his belief that although the two groups may get into some _ghts, they always come out of them with a better understanding of each other than when they began. Sisko tells Winn that she wont succeed here; the school will stay open, and when her rhetoric grows old, the Bajorans will start bringing their children back to learn. Winn simply replies, Well see. After the Federation people have moved away, Neela stands in place for a long moment, staring after Vedek Winn.Later in Ops, Sisko asks OBrien how Keiko is doing, and is told that she is shaken but intends to hold school as usual in an empty cargo bay. Sisko requests an update on the investigation into Ensign Aquinos death, and OBrien tells him about the security bypass he found. OBrien states that he has had security seals placed around the Runabouts to prevent tampering, as in the background Neela listens intently. Just then, a transmission arrives from Vedek Bareil, on board a Bajoran transport. Bareil says that he has decided to accept Siskos offer to visit the station; Sisko is confused for a moment, then plays along, commenting, Unfortunately, we have some damage we wont be able to clean up before you get here. Vedek Bareil replies, I heard about it. Perhaps I can help you clean it up. In the Bajoran Temple on the station, Vedek Winn receives a visit from Neela. Neela tells Winn that her intentions for the Runabout have been discovered, leaving her with no way to escape; and if she is captured, she will be executed. Winn tells her that the Prophets sometimes demand great sacri_ces. In Ops, OBrien notices an unexplained _le in the Security section of the computer, labelled ANA. Its protected by his own security code, but OBrien has no idea what it is. He stars working on a manual override of the protections while Dax prepares to decrypt the encoding on the _le. Meanwhile, Vedek Bareils ship arrives, and the leader is greeted by a throng of joyful Bajorans. Neela watches from the second level of the Promenade, a grim expression on her face.In Ops, OBrien and Dax succeed in opening the locked _le, and discover that its a program designed to deactivate selected station security _elds. A diagram of the chosen _elds shows that the program was intended to provide an escape route for someone, leading to Runabout Pad A. OBrien scans for anomalous readings in the security relays, and _nds that a subspace relay was activated in the security of_ce nine minutes ago. Being unable to determine what the device is doing from Ops, OBrien heads down to take a look at it in person. On the Promenade, Bareil approaches Winn and greets her. He refuses to let her grasp his ear, joining hands with her instead. He suggests that the two of them go to the schoolroom to seek a peaceful solution to the problem, and the pair of leaders walk off, followed by the crowd of Bajorans. Down in Security, OBrien discovers that the subspace relay unit has been integrated into the systems that he and Neela were working on repairing two days ago. Neela, then, must have been the one responsible.The Bajorans arrive at the schoolroom, the crowd pushing and jostling for position. Neela stands among them, silent. Vedek Bareil starts to speak of his shame that his people have resorted to violence to make their point. OBrien asks Dax to check on the weapon sensors in the Promenade, that being the most likely system that the subspace relay could be affecting. Dax says everything seems to be functioning normally, but OBrien isnt convinced.He calls Sisko on his commbadge and tells the commander his suspicions about the weapon sensors, and about Neela. Meanwhile, Vedek Bareil continues to counsel his people to reject violent solutions, and embrace trust instead. The crowd cheers his speech enthusiastically as Neela moves into position. Sisko sees Neela as she draws a weapon from her toolkit; he shouts and lunges for her, but not before Neela brings the weapon to bear on Vedek Bareil. Bareil sees her and stands, un_inching, as Neela _resand misses. Sisko brings her down with a _ying tackle before she can get off a second shot. As she is hauled away by Security, she shouts, The Prophets spoke! I answered their call! Kira walks over to Vedek Winn. It was all to get him here, wasnt it? she says. The school, the protest, the bombingyou knew that would get him out of the monastery. You did it all to kill him; to stop him from becoming Kai. Winn walks away without a word.Later, in Ops, Kira sits at her station, staring at nothing. Sisko enters and tells her that Neela has claimed that she acted alone, and Kira says that theyll never be able to prove Vedek Winns involvement. Sisko asks Kira if shes okay, and she replies, Ive forgotten what okay is like. I havent been okay in years. She goes on to say that a year ago, when she was _ghting Cardassians in some unnamed swamp, she would never have believed where she would be in a yearthe Cardassians gone, and herself in uniform, guarding a wormhole in space. Protecting your Celestial Temple, says Sisko. Kira tells him she envied Winns conviction, and wished she were as strong in her faith as the Vedek extremist. She then says, You were right in what you said about the Bajorans. Or at least about me. I dont think youre the devil. Maybe we really have made some progress after all, says Sisko, and the Bajoran Major and the Federation Commander walk off together.